The Dearest Fiend
by kriitikko
Summary: A different kind of Van Helsing version with actionadventure, horror and romance. Full summary inside. Please take a look, my first Van Helsing fic ever!
1. Chapter 1

**Hallo you, whoever is reading this. **

**This is my first Van Helsing- fic and before you read it I think I should explain a few things. Firstly, I didn't really like the film itself, though the idea was interesting. My fic is somewhat following the film's plotline but with few exceptions. Firstly there will be no Frankenstein, Dracula's children, left hand of God or the terrible "only werewolf can kill Dracula" crap. Also my story will be sort of a crossover between Sommer's Van Helsing and Coppola's Dracula (1992). Also animation movie Vampire hunter D: Bloodlust has been an inspiration to me. And I'm going to concentrate on that strange friendship between Dracula and Van Helsing that was suggested in the film but never really explained, therefore the title. So here is my fic of horror, action/adventure, drama and perhaps a little romance also. **

**I'M SORRY ABOUT THE GRAMMATICAL AND SPELLING MISTAKES. ENGLISH IS NOT MY FIRST LANGUAGE. **

**Characters are not mine. They are own by Stephen Sommers and Bram Stoker.**

**THE DEAREST FIEND**

(AN: This opening is being inspired by the film Underworld: Evolution)

Transylvania, 1476

Usually it would have been pitch-black at night in this time of the year, but the stars and the full moon on the sky and the white snow on the ground reflected enough light for one to see. A small group of soldiers were riding with horses slowly in the snow. They were lead by proud looking general who had dressed in black armour with shades of gold. He rode steadily with the big brown horse, his helmet covering the sides of his face. To his men he looked like nothing could shock him.

_If they only know how nervous I really am, _he thought.

Truth was that he didn't want to be here, in the cold night, waiting nervously of what he would see. The two men they had send forward to see what was going on should come back in minute now. The general looked around him. Only eight men were companying him in this mission that he didn't want any part of. General closed his eyes for a moment, thinking how things could have got so out of hands. Wasn't it just last summer when he and his best friend were both so happy? And now…

Another of the two men appeared in front of them. He rode to them and was noticeably paler than before.

"My lord-"he started but the general cut him off.

"Where is the other man?" general asked.

"He- He is vomiting, sir. Behind that hill…" the soldier stuttered.

General didn't wait for another minute but made his horse move faster and rode over the snowy hill in front of him. He could sense the smell of blood long before he actually saw what was behind the hill.

"Ave Maria…" he said silently.

The snow behind the hill wasn't white but red, covered by blood. Pieces of armours, dead horses, swords and limps of men were all over the ground. But it wasn't what was on the ground that shocked him the most. Long wooden sticks were placed all over the battlefield and in them were impaled bodies of the dead soldiers. They had been stripped of naked and crows were already eating them.

General heard several gasps behind him when the other soldiers saw the sight. Nobody dared to say anything, so they waited to hear further orders from their leader.

_I didn't want to believe…oh my God, things are worse than I thought. _

When five days ago then he had been informed about the activities here he hadn't believe them. He knew the man claimed to be responsible of these monstrous deeds and couldn't believe it of him. He had volunteered to this mission in hope to find out the truth of this matter. Now he knew and it filled him with rage. He didn't need to ask who was behind this grotesque picture of a battlefield. The flags placed around the place told him enough. Angrily general looked at the flags and the simple yet horrifying picture of a dragon in them with one word written to it.

Dragulia.

The other man appeared from the night, looking slightly green. "General Van Helsing, the army we are looking for is down the hill by the lake" he said in a rush.

"What are your orders, sir?" the man nearest him asked.

General took a deep breath. "I will go first, allowing them to see me. Come after me but stay hidden, don't become seen. I will talk to him myself first. If they attack me, or if I'll give you a signal, attack" he said.

Down the lake was a group of twenty soldiers. One of the soldiers took a hesitant step forward their leader, a tall man dressed in black armour with red dragon in his chest, riding on a menacing black horse.

"These are the children of the enemies, my lord" soldier said.

Their leader removed his helmet and revealed his sharp face, with pale skin and long black hair. His eyes were steel blue, amazingly cold. His lips moved in to a smirk as he watched the children in front of him. There were five boys and three girls. Oldest was probably 13 when the youngest was barely seven.

"I am Dracula" the leader said simply. "You have probably heard of me. Your parents have told you lies about me. They have poisoned you minds against me. But I am not evil. I am simply keeping up piece and order in this country. Your parents were traitors and served their fate". A cruel smile appeared to his lips. "And so do you, for I can't allow you to grow up as my enemies". He turned his eyes to the frozen lake near them. "Now children, it is time to take swimming lessons" he said.

Many of Dracula's men hesitated. None of the children could survive in that lake. But neither did any of the men have enough courage to go against him.

Just when Dracula was about to give his orders, a figure appeared from the shadows. "Stop, Vlad. Enough of madness" general shouted. Though he was still wearing his helmet Dracula recognised his voice.

"Gabriel, what an unexpected surprise, I must say. What brings you to our little massacre?" Dracula asked his voice filled with amusement.

"I've come to put an end to this all, Vladislaus" General said.

"Why do you have so little respect towards me, Gabriel? You call me by my name in front of my men. There was a time when you looked up to me" Dracula said, his voice lacking the sympathy.

"That time ended when you decided to give away to madness. Vlad I knew wouldn't have succumbed to this barbaric behaviour".

Dracula looked at the General opposite him. "How did you know where to find me, Gabriel?" he finally asked.

"Your father told me. He wants you to return home-"

"Where he can keep an eye on me, I imagine. And what if I refuse to return?"

General hesitated to answer which was more than enough to confirm Dracula's suspicions.

"If I don't return you are ordered to kill me, right?" Dracula's eyes were showing pure hate now and general knew he would attack any minute now. It was now or never. Gabriel Van Helsing removed his helmet, revealing his handsome face and letting his long brown hair drop to his shoulders.

Sign had been given. With a quick movement General Van Helsing's soldiers appeared from the shadows and with quiet movements killed eight of Dracula's men. It came as such a shock others weren't ready to battle but fell immediately. Dracula face reflected pure anger now as he had been surprised. He turned to General who was still pleading.

"Please, Vlad. This is not the way. This what Sabrina would s-"

But with a sudden movement Dracula had launch himself from the saddle and pulled General to the ground with him.

"DON'T MENTION HER NAME!!!" Dracula yelled.

Neither Dracula's nor General's men made an attempt to help their masters.

Dracula punch General hard to the face and rose up as quickly as he could. He pulled his sword and was going to strike general while he was still on the ground but missed with an inch. General's hand captured a stone which he threw, hitting Dracula to his face. This gave him tine enough to stand up and pull his sword.

"Is this the way you respect her memory, Vlad? Her sacrifice?!" General shouted to his raging opponent.

"You know nothing what happened, Gabriel! I've been betrayed by my own family. If I am a monster it is because of them!" Dracula yelled and made and attack. The sound of two steel striking echoed in to the night.

The two men blades were in contact. It looked like they were pushing each others, trying to see which one would tire first.

"You're being used, Gabriel. We're both being betrayed" Dracula hissed, his voice filled with venom.

"You're confused, Vlad. Sabrina's suicide has pushed you off the edge" brown haired man said through his teeth.

"Wrong!" Dracula roared and managed to push general backwards. "She was murdered! We are all being betrayed by the ones we love! And I will not rest in this life or the other until I've have avenged her!" Dracula yelled. He charged to attack.

General pulled his long hunting knife from his boot to prevent the strike. This confused Dracula one second too long. General pushed his sword through his opponent's stomach. Dracula's eyes winded in shock and his mouth opened but no sound came.

General spoke softly. "I'm sorry, my friend. I'm so sorry…" he said.

Dracula took hold of Generals shoulder with his free hand and sliced himself through the sword's length to the man holding it. With difficulty he whispered to general's ear "Don't be, I will not die. Hate like mine never dies".

Dracula's sword fell to the snowy ground, followed by the man himself. General watched the dead man at his feet and couldn't help but feel that instead of solving a problem he had just created one.

It was always to this that Gabriel Van Helsing awoke. Every night he had the same dream of snow, blood and death. Every time he saw the dying man's face and heard his whisper in his ear. He didn't know why he saw these dreams of being 15'Th century commander of an army. After all it is year 1897 and he is working for the Vatican, killing creatures that live in the darkness.

**AN: That's the first chapter. My story starts to follow the film's plotline in the next chapter, with the exceptions of the changes I mentioned up. Hope you liked this. **

**Reviews are always appreciated. **


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Well, it seems that, with the exception of Irena and Michelle, the dearest of dearest, the start of my fic hasn't got any recognition. I hope that situation will change. **

**Disclaimer: Same as in chapter 1.**

Even though he was described to wear a heave coat and big hat and boots in all the wanted posters in Europe, Gabriel Van Helsing favoured to dress in simple priests robes when he was "off the duty". Really the only thing that made him stand out of the crowds of priests when he walked in the cathedral was his long brown hair.

Van Helsing looked around him. He had first step in this huge cathedral in Vatican City almost 17 years ago then but it still made him look at it in wonder, as if he would see it the very first time. He walked out of the cathedral to its steps and looked the stone statues of angels and saints. Now, in bright daylight, they looked almost peaceful, like sleeping. But 17 years ago then, on that stormy night, they had looked like the leaders of the heavenly armies, ready the face an epic battle against the enemy.

Van Helsing didn't remember much of that day. He was found crawling at the steps of this very cathedral. He had been naked, shivering from the cold and rain, raving and seeing hallucinations. After he had been brought in the church he had been unconscious for many days before waking up. He didn't remember anything of his past. He remembered his name but not his parents, where he was from and what had he done in his life. Not any mention of the line of Van Helsing had been found in the archives. Only clue to his past was the ring he had been carrying in his left hand: a black ring with a picture of a dragon in it.

Even when Van Helsing didn't remember a thing of his past, he did seem to be highly educated. He could read and write different languages and knew bible backwards. He also had sharp senses and quick reflexes and he could fight against bigger and meaner things than himself. It was then the church started to think he had been send to do God's work.

Van Helsing was pulled out of his thought by a quiet but stern voice from the door of the cathedral.

"Trying to remember?" voice asked.

Van Helsing turned to see an elder man dressed in fine red robes. He had been wearing black robes when he found Van Helsing 17 years ago.

"Cardinal Jinette" Van Helsing greeted him.

"Remembering anything knew?" Cardinal intrigued. Van Helsing shook his head. "And you're still seeing the same dream?"

"Every night" Van Helsing said. He had told Jinette of his dreams a long time ago. Van Helsing was by no means an immortal. Neither was he demon, warlock or a vampire. He was only a man, but he was a man with a special gift of sensing evil.

"Come, my son" Cardinal said "the Order has a new assignment to you".

Beneath the vary cathedral Van Helsing had just admired, laid the headquarter of the Holy Order, a secret society that has its eyes, ears and hands in every part of the world. The society was created sometime during the 12'Th century. It contains Christians, Muslims and Hindus, Jewish etc. Holy Order has only one purpose: to protect the world of an ancient evil it has forgot. The greatest power Creatures of Darkness has is that no-one believes in them. And that is for the best. During the centuries Order had to keep its existence also in secret and could no longer send armies to vanquish demons. Now days it had to rely on small groups.

For over decade Van Helsing had been working for the Order alone, facing monsters that should only live in nightmares. He had and was doing this in hope of getting his memory back, of knowing who he really is.

"So, what am I facing this time? Some cult is sacrificing virgins? Another insane nobleman sold his soul to the darkness? No, now I know: Mr Hyde has once again escaped from your custody" Van Helsing said.

Cardinal Jinette's lips became thin. "Not that you should know but Doctor Jekyll hasn't surrender to his darker self since the last time he escaped".

"That was the second time he fooled you. If the third time comes I won't bring him back alive" the younger man said, still remembering the twisted faces of Hyde's victims.

Jinette decided to overlook the last remark. "I wish I could tell you that it is Mr Hyde who you should be worried about. Unfortunately this is much more difficult task. Have you ever heard of Count Dracula?"

Van Helsing stopped in his tracks. He had heard that name. Every night he heard it in his dream. Before he could mutter a word Cardinal was continuing.

"The word Dracula means "Son of the Dragon" or, in some other translations, "Son of the Devil". Either way, this Count I'm talking about, is living in the place we are sending you: Transylvania.

"You have faced vampires before, Van Helsing, but those were always the lone ones. From what we have heard Romania is filled with them and Dracula is their lord and master. For century's house of Valerious, the members of Order also, have been trying to vanquish him without succeeding in it. It has become their life purpose ever since King Valerious the Elder came to Vatican in the 15'Th century to pray forgiveness. We don't know exactly for what, but he seemed to be under the impression that somehow it was his fault Dracula was living.

"Only one of Valerious descendants is still living; Princess Anna".

Saying this Cardinal's assistant, that seemed to have come out of nowhere, brought the picture of a young man and young woman, both had black haired.

"Princess Anna is the woman. The man is his brother Prince Velkan, who was bitten by a werewolf two months ago then".

Cardinal took a new picture. It was a picture of an elder man with glasses and moustache. Next to him was girl with curly hair. She was probably 16.

"The man is one the Order's leading scientist; Doctor Heinrich Mortte. Girl is his daughter Isabella. Mortte has been studying lycanthropes for years now. He claims to be close to finding an antidote to their decease. Princess Anna has called Doctor to arrive to Transylvania to treat her brother. The Holy Order is sending you to guarantee their protection".

"What?! Since when did I become a babysitter?" Van Helsing became angry quite quickly. He had hoped to learn more about his past after hearing Cardinal mention Dracula, but he was no closer to the truth than yesterday. "My job is to get rid of these things and I thought-"

Cardinal sighed. "You thought we were going to send you to kill Dracula. He many of our warriors in the past and none have lived to tell the tail. We aren't going to lose you. You simply need to make sure nothing happens to them. Doctor wouldn't have wanted protection, but when his daughter came along he couldn't refuse. Isabella refuses to let her father leave without her".

Van Helsing tried to keep himself calm. "Why did you choose me?" he asked.

Cardinal looked at him for a long time. "We chose you for two reasons. Firstly you're the best one we have at the moment and secondly this task might actually interest you".

Van Helsing looked at the elder man sceptically.

"Let me show you something" Cardinal said and suddenly that strange assistant appeared again and brought a copy of a painting. "This is the only picture we have of Count Dracula" Cardinal said.

Van Helsing felt he couldn't breath. Picture had a man dressed in black. His lips were thin, hair dark and eyes cold stele blue. It was the same man in his dreams.

"Look at Dracula's hand" Cardinal said and Van Helsing received yet another surprise. In Dracula's hand was a black ring with a picture of a dragon in it.

"When do I leave?" Van Helsing asked, not taking his eyes of the picture.

**AN: So there, the second chapter. No, chapters aren't going to be really any longer. Sorry. **


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Well, I think this story is not meant to have a great success. Screw it, I'll write it anyway. **

**Disclaimer: Same as always.**

Two weeks later.

It took two weeks to get from the Vatican, sail across the Adriatic Sea and travel through the Carpathian Mountains to finally reach their destination; Transylvania, the forbidden dark land, ruled by nightmarish demons and monsters. As Van Helsing looked around this land he fully understood why creatures of the night were so well gathered in here. The huge mountains, large forests and foggy clouds created a perfect shield against the sun light. Van Helsing had heard rumours that vampires were so bold here that they might move in daylight. He looked up to the skies. It was almost winter now and the clouds were huge. His hand automatically reached for his bag where his crossbow lay. Beneath his huge black jacket he had crucifixes, silver stake and two revolvers with silver bullets in them. On his side laid his sword.

Van Helsing was currently riding on a horse, next to a carriage that was accompanied by Doctor Heinrich Mortte and his daughter Isabella. Behind Van Helsing there came another rider, a young friar named Carl. Van Helsing groaned. Just how many peoples did he have to take care of? He wouldn't have wanted Carl with him and Carl most certainly didn't want to come. It was a direct order from Cardinal Jinette, that if Van Helsing would go after Dracula then he needed Carl. Despite of his young age, Carl had memorised every known book of creatures of darkness. He was also one of the best weapon designers and expert of chemicals. Or as he himself liked to call them; a viscous materials.

"Are you quite sure that his road is the safest to the village, Van Helsing?" Carl asked, riding next to Van Helsing.

"Well, it is safer than the one through that mountain. There is a risk of avalanche there" he pointed out.

"Well that's just great," young friar commented sarcastically "here our only worry is to be get caught by some unholy monster that wants to suck our blood".

Van Helsing groaned. _I must have been some sort of a blasphemer. Why else would I be punished like this? Still, if there are any clues of my past in Transylvania…_

Van Helsing decided to repeat everything he had learned of vampires in his head. _They're not living, nor are they dead. They are undead, nosferatu. They can live centuries without aging as long as they feed themselves with the living human's blood. They can create other vampires by biting human three times or letting him or her drink their own blood. They can be killed by exposing them to sunlight or impaling their heart or cutting their head off. They have no reflection. They have strength of at least twenty men and they can defy gravity. They can see in dark and hear the smallest sound. They can transform themselves into a mist or exceptionally large wolf or bat. They can control other animals and sometimes hypnotize an exceptionally weak willed human. The most powerful of them can even control weather and werewolves. _

_Still, they are not invincible. During the day time they must stay out of the sun light and like any other creature of this earth, they also need rest. They can only have rest in graves or coffins in which death has tied them. They can't stand to be near of crosses or icons of our saviour. Physical touch to crucifix or holy water will burn them. They can not cross a running water nor can they enter a household where they have not earlier been if somebody from inside doesn't invite them in._

Van Helsing also remembered that vampires weren't the only thing to worry about in Transylvania. _Werewolves are partly human and partly animal. A man will turn into a werewolf if he is cursed or bitten by one. A man will turn into a werewolf during the first full moon since he was bitten or cursed. During the first time they have absolutely no control over themselves. After that they can transform themselves during any time of day or night. Even a good man will have an unstoppable need to kill once infected. Count Dracula is using werewolves as his daylight guardians. _

"Er…Van Helsing? I think we are here" Carl said.

Gabriel Van Helsing snapped out of his thoughts and looked of a village in front of him. It wasn't exceptionally large one. Wooden houses had been build very close to each others. In the heart of the village was an old stone fortress that Van Helsing took as Castle Valerious. He, Carl and the carriage rode to the centre of the village. A crowd of people were gathering near them. From the castle came two men who were both dressed in a same way. They had helmet and a shield protecting their torso. They had crosses and crossbow. Behind them came a young woman, who Van Helsing recognised as Princess Anna, the last living human of the house of Valerious. Her curly black hair was wild at her shoulders and her green eyes examined them. She was dressed the most unlady like. She had black boots with heals, man's trousers that seemed to be made to her and a red blouse. She also had a cross in chain going around her neck and a sword on her side.

Van Helsing couldn't help but being intrigued by this woman.

The carriage door opened and Dr Heinrich Mortte stepped outside. He was dressed in a brown suit. He looked Anna through his glasses and helped his daughter out of the carriage. Isabella walked out of the carriage and with her father came closer to the waiting princess.

"Doctor Mortte, welcome to Transylvania. I am Anna Valerious, and please do not call me by any titles. You are my guests and I do not wish for you to be uncomfortable" Anna said.

"Thank you for inviting us, Princess Anna. I'm grateful for this opportunity you are presenting to me. This is my daughter Isabella" Mortte said.

Isabella seemed to be shy near Princess. Her brown eyes carefully examined their hostess. "Your-"she started but was interrupted by sweetly smiling Anna.

"I said there is no need to use titles" she said. Then she turned her head to Van Helsing and Carl who had both landed down from the horses. "And you are?" she asked.

Van Helsing removed his hat a little showing his eyes. "Gabriel-"…

"VAN HELSING!" Carl shouted suddenly pointing to the cloudy sky.

Three exceptionally huge bats were flying fast towards them. Van Helsing didn't even have to blink to realise that this wasn't anything normal in Transylvania. Before any one could properly move the bats had in a blink of an eye transformed themselves to three gorgeous young women who attacked the two guards and Princess Anna. Guards died immediately but Anna was able to get rid of the vampire by using her cross.

"The Brides!" she screamed, recognising the attackers. Mortte pushed himself and Isabella to the carriage. Van Helsing pulled his crossbow. He shot two arrows to the Brides, but they saw them coming and turned to the mist, letting arrows go harmlessly through them. The Bride with ebony black hair turned to the one with golden hair.

"Marishka, kill our quest!" she hissed through her teeth.

The golden haired bride, Marishka, took inhuman, panther- like jump towards Van Helsing. Van Helsing managed to take hold of woman's arm and throw her off him. This shocked the vampire, but not enough for her to be paralyzed. With another animalistic movement she was again on Van Helsing and throw him to the air. He landed really hard to the ground.

Van Helsing saw that the ebony haired vampire was giving hard time to Anna and guards that had appeared from the fortress. Still she didn't seem to be interested of fighting and it was then when it hit him. She was distracting Anna. The third vampire, a redheaded one, was moving to the carriage. She would have probably got in already if Carl wouldn't have been splashing holy water to the doors.

Van Helsing saw Marishka again coming towards him so he pulled a crucifix and his sword. When Marishka saw crucifix her face was twisted with rage and she kept circling Van Helsing, trying to decide what to do. Van Helsing tried to strike her with his sword but woman prove to be too fast. She easily ducked them.

"Nice playing with you, stranger. We can go on until you're tired or you can give up now and throw your crucifix away" Marishka said, evil smile playing on her lips.

"Very well" Van Helsing said and launched to strike her with his sword. She again avoided it but now Van Helsing throw the crucifix from his hand and it landed to her face. The hissing sound of burning flesh was heard and vampire bride screamed. Van Helsing raised his sword and decapitated the vampire. Marishka's screamed stopped as her head fell to the ground. Hardly had her body followed when it already started to transform and beautiful woman disappeared leaving only ashes to the ground.

The two other vampires must have either heard or sensed this for they turned to Van Helsing's direction and let out a cry of anguish. The headed to the sky and disappeared, turning again to two huge bats.

For a moment every one seems to be too stunned to even make a sound. Van Helsing saw that neither Anna nor Carl seemed to be badly hurt and thanks to the holy water Mortte and his daughter were safe in the carriage.

Finally Anna found her voice. "Nobody has been able to kill one of the brides in centuries. And we have been tried. How did you manage to do it?"

Van Helsing shrugged his shoulders. "I play dirty".

**AN: Okay, I'm not happy for this chapter, action scenes are totally knew to me. But I hope you liked it.**

**Next: more of Anna and Isabella, brides and finally…Count Dracula!**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Big thanks to all those lovely persons that reviewed to me, such as Irena, Michelle and Lady Wednesday.**

**HelioQueen from Finland. I hope to hear from you in the future. Are you truly from Finland? Puhu totta, tiedän jos valehtelet!**

The heavy grey clouds covered the sky above the land of Transylvania, not allowing any ray of the sun shine directly to the ground. Even though two huge bats that were flying fast knew that clouds wouldn't move away, they still from the time to time glanced nervously to the skies. This wasn't their natural time to be awake, but when their master gave order they obeyed. Today following orders had cost a life of one like them.

The bats finally reached their destination; a well hidden castle. They flew closer to its huge towers that from far could be mistaken as a sharp end top of a mountain. They flew in one of the windows and landed to the stone floor in a chamber filled with candles and marble statues, where they transformed as two young beautiful women. They both had a robes made by the finest dressmakers of the Europe. One of them, the black ebony haired one, had slightly green robes. The other, red haired one had purple robes.

"This is your fault, Aleera!" ebony haired vampire woman hissed to the other.

"My fault?! How is it my fault, Verona?" red haired barked.

"It is your fault that we didn't get what master wanted! They were in a simple carriage and you just kept running around it while Marishka and I fought against Valerious and her soldiers".

"For your information the carriage was all over in holy water! How could I have entered? And that man, damn him whoever he is, was not a soldier of Valerious woman. No mortal has ever managed to kill any of us" Aleera said.

"I know that! How do you think Master is going take the news that not only did we fail to bring him what he wanted we also lost Marishka to a mere mortal? I'll tell you how he is going to take it: he is either going to make us watch the next sunrise or we shall spend at least the next 70 years in our coffins" Verona spitted angrily.

"You lost Marishka?" asked a low voice from the other end of the room. Both women turned around to see a little deformed man.

"Igor, how long have you been listening to us?" Verona asked angrily.

"Since you arrived, I was already here" Igor said, not caring of the two women. "Pity about Marishka, she was always nicest to me. Sad that it couldn't be neither of you" he added.

"What?" Verona asked shocked.

"How dare you talk like that to us?" Aleera shouted, her eyes becoming dangerously red.

"I wouldn't recommend you to do something impulsive now" Igor said. "You already have too many bad news for the master. I don't think he would like to hear you also killed one of his faithful servants" Igor said, his deformed lips twisting to a smile.

"Someday I'll wash that smile off your face" Aleera hissed.

Any other person would have been terrified by the threat of a vampire woman. Igor however was used to the killing threats. He was used to them by now. He got them five times a day at home from both of his parents and little brother who all hated and despised him because of his deformity. Some would say that it was because of cruel peoples that Igor became as he became. Other says he was born that way. Whatever the reason was Igor had by the age of 11 shut down his quilt and shame when he set his house on fire and listened the dying screams of his family. After that he did anything to survive; rob, blackmail, killed etc. By now Igor had lost the account of in how many countries he was wanted criminal. For a brief moment he thought he couldn't go anywhere without running in to an angry mob. But he found a sanctuary in Transylvania. _Work for a powerful boss loyally and without disobeying and you get to live for a long time_, he thought. He had enjoyed the protection of his latest boss for seven years now.

"Maybe someday, Aleera", Igor said, enjoying the fact that his Master had ordered women not to harm him, "but not today. Master is about to wake".

Behind the grey clouds the last rays of sun disappeared behind the snowy mountains. The black coffin, which lay in the end of the chamber, slowly opened. The long figure of a man stood up from the red velvet. He was dressed all in black, with a long black cape covering him. He had a sharp face and long black hair. His steel blue eyes scanned the environment.

Count Dracula had risen.

"Three I send to the village and only two I see has returned. Anyone cares to explain?" he asked. His unearthly voice filled the chamber.

Verona took one step towards Dracula and bowed her head. "Master, I'm afraid we lost Marishka" she said quietly.

Dracula looked at them, slowly walking towards them. "How can this be? No-one has been able to kill any of us in the last four centuries. Was it Anna Valerious?" he demanded.

"No, Master," Aleera sobbed, "it was a foreign stranger who arrived with the carriage. He decapitated Marishka, after burning her face with a crucifix".

"It must have been a warrior of the Holy Order. We've managed to beat every one of them before, why is he so different?" Dracula muttered to himself. Then his voice was loud and clear. "Marishka will be avenged. Death of her murderer will be slow, painful and humiliating".

Brides nodded their heads, both filled with desire to avenge one who had been their sister for centuries.

"Now, I also see that you have failed also in your mission" Dracula said suddenly.

Both brides fell to the ground. "Master, forgive us!" they cried.

"SILENCE!" his voice boomed like a thunder. Both women instantly took few steps back. "You're not weak mortal women who cry. You are Dracula's brides, proud vampires who will not let anything stand on their way. I summoned the clouds to you and still you failed. You disappoint me greatly!" he said.

Neither of the women dared to look at him. He opened his cape like a huge wings and called them to come. Both hurried to his embrace and he closed the cape around them.

"Do not disappoint me again. This is very important to me, something I have waited for centuries. Both of you know this and neither will let me down again". It wasn't a request but a command.

Both shook their heads and he kissed both of their foreheads.

"I shall go to collect what I want myself tonight" Dracula said simply.

"But Master…the hunter, what about him?" Aleera asked.

"You shall have a chance to avenge your sister".

"And Valerious?" asked Verona.

Dracula raised his head to the little man in the room. "Igor, gather my werewolves and bring me my carriage".

"Yes, Master" Igor said and left as quickly as he could.

"Time to act is now! I'm through with waiting any longer!" Dracula said.

**I know I promised to have more of Anna and Van Helsing and Isabella in this, but they will appear in next chapter. Hope you enjoyed and don't forget that there is a reason why "review" rhymes with "love you". **

**Yeah, there will be none of those little creatures that served Dracula in Van Helsing- movie. I mean c'mon… **


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: I'm sorry that it always takes so long to update this fic, but I'm currently writing two other fics also and they have captured my interest more than this one. However, I will not back down. **

Though the first impression of Castle Valerious would be cold, it turned out to be well heated and warm. Huge fireplaces and torches at the wall gave heath that the stone castle otherwise didn't seem to have. In a huge room Dr. Mortte and his daughter Isabella were sitting near the fireplace, Van Helsing was leaning against the wall behind them and Carl had focused his attention to huge map on the wall when Anna Valerious walked in the room.

"So, is that exactly how you are going to protect me and my father?" demanded still somewhat shaken Isabella.

Anna Valerious held her hands to defend herself while speaking steadily and calmly. "I am truly sorry for what happened. Let me assure you that nothing like that will happen again. My men will guard you and your father 24/7. I was simply unprepared for vampires; they've never attacked before in daylight".

"Why do you think they attacked?" Van Helsing asked boldly.

"Dracula must have heard of the cure for lycanthropy. He would see something like that as a threat for he has used werewolves to do his biding for hundreds of years already" Anna said, slightly annoyed by the rudeness of this warrior.

"They were going to kill you, papa" Isabella gasped. "I knew we should never have come here".

"Isabella, calm down" Mortte said, as he gently shook his daughters shoulder. "We are safe here, inside the castle. You saw how many guards were at the walls" he spoke assuring Isabella.

"Why so many guards, anyway?" Carl suddenly asked, not taking his eyes off the map. "Vampires can't come in if somebody doesn't invite them first, right?"

"Unless they have been here before they became vampires" Anna said. "Dracula was born in this castle four centuries ago and lived his human life here".

"So, he can just come whenever he wants?" Isabella shouted.

"No, no he can't. My men have trained to kill vampires all their lives. This castle is also guarded by crosses garlic flowers. No, he has not ventured here in centuries and I doubt he will anytime soon".

"So, where does he rest nowadays?" Van Helsing asked.

This simple question angered Anna. She took long steps until she was face to face with Van Helsing. "If I would know that do you think I hadn't attacked already?" she hissed, challenging him.

Van Helsing merely raised his eyebrow and Anna turned away, letting out an irritated sigh.

"The point is," she started while trying to calm down, "that you are safe in the castle and I will arrange a safe way out of the land when you want. Now I would like to know about this possible cure you have, Dr. Mortte".

Heinrich Mortte cleared his throat before speaking. "Yes, well the cure, as you call it, is still really on theoretical state and I can't promise you that it would work at all or if there might be some side effects. Put it simply, I believe that lycanthropy or whatever you call this state when man turns into a werewolf, is simply decease in the system. I wondered why the first transformation always happened during the full moon. Well, I believe that it has something to do with the fluids and especially the blood. Just like the moon causes high tide I'm sure it also, for reason or another, causes the transformation for the first time. I'm sure, that I could find a cure, if I'd had samples of blood from already infected werewolf to examine. Unfortunately even the Holy Order doesn't have werewolves in custody".

"Better dead than out killing people" Van Helsing said.

Anna silenced him with a death glare before turning back to Mortte. "Would you like to meet my brother now?" she asked.

13 minutes later Anna led Mortte, who had collected his small doctor's bag and Van Helsing to the dungeons of the castle. Isabella had been showed to her room and Carl had disappeared somewhere in the Valerious library. The two men followed Romanian princess through the stony corridors to the door that was made of iron, with silver crosses in it. Two men were standing at the door. Anna gave them a signal and they opened the door.

"Has he transformed after his first time?" Van Helsing asked.

"No, after the first transformation werewolves can control their forms and change at will any time of day and night. We keep him here because Dracula could order him to transform. He has power over werewolves" Anna explained as one of the guards opened the door.

Insides of the dungeon were noting like Van Helsing expected. A warm carpet down the floor, a wall covered with books, writing table with paper and inks with it and a bed with big blankets. Prince Velkan Valerious was half sitting/half laying at the bed. He was dressed cleanly and had combed his dark hair. He was strong looking, well-build young man and had a piercing gaze. His skin was somewhat pale though.

"Velkan, this is Dr. Mortte, the man I told would come" Anna said.

"Good day…" Mortte started but noticed the dark sky behind the barred window "…evening, your highness. I am Heinrich Mortte and with your permission I would like to take a sample of your blood". Mortte's voice was steady and relaxing. He had obviously had patients before.

"And you are" Velkan asked, eyeing Van Helsing who had stayed behind Anna and Mortte.

"Gabriel Van Helsing, your highness" he answered briefly.

Velkan's eyes became thin slits. "I've heard of the monster hunter Van Helsing before. Did the Order send you to kill me if I wasn't able to be cured" he asked.

"I'm not here to kill you," Van Helsing said steadily "and I won't if you stay as you are".

Anna's head whipped around and her eyes were storming. "Why don't we leave the Doctor and my brother alone for a while?" she said, grab Van Helsing from the arm and dragged him out of the room.

In the hall she forcefully pushed him at the wall. "I don't know who you think you are, Van Helsing, but you have absolutely no right to come here and talk like that of my brother. If the Order thought you was the best man to escort Mortte here then so very well. But don't you dare to make such remarks again of my brother. He has suffered enough already".

Van Helsing looked her intently. For the last 17 years he had met many women during his missions but never one such as Anna Valerious. A woman who possessed the intelligence and graze of a lady, yet who also fight against monsters and didn't hesitate to bite someone's head off for those she loved. Van Helsing couldn't remember anyone else that intrigued him so. Yet, he had to confess, she also get to his nerves way too easily.

"I…" what ever Van Helsing was about to say was drowned by a sudden cry of anguish coming from the dungeon.

Both Van Helsing and Anna ran back to Velkan's cell to be greeted by a sight of trembling and pale Dr. Mortte at the floor, his injection being thrown away and Velkan screaming, holding his hands at his ears. Anna tried to take hold of her brother but she was pushed away with incredible force.

Velkan opened his eyes to reveal that they had lost their brown colour and became yellow. "I hear his voice, Anna! I can't disobey him!" he shouted his voice becoming deeper as the terrible transformation began.

Van Helsing helped shocked Mortte out of the room as Anna closed the door quickly. "He won't get out," she said, "he can't get pass the silver in the door and windows".

Running footsteps were heard and soon a guard appeared around the corner, breathlessly trying to speak. "Your highness…at least three werewolves…in the village…attacking peoples…" he managed to say.

Anna quickly ran, giving orders to take Mortte to his room with his daughter, with Van Helsing closely behind her.

**AN: I promise that there will be more of Isabella in coming chapters. Next one will be interesting to say the least, giving again a clue to Van Helsing's and Dracula's past. **

**Hope you liked it. **


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: If I'm not badly mistaken the last chapter got more reviews than others before. I'd say that's the spirit, mates! (With a pirate accent)**

**Some have noticed that I've given characters, especially to Dracula, things that were not in the movie, like control over weather. They're from Bram Stoker's novel and I even use some of the lines from it. **

**Disclaimer: they're Stoker's and Sommer's but not mine. **

A huge bat was flying through the wind towards the Castle Valerious. Night was without clouds and moon shined his way. Even though bat hardly moved his wings it moved fast and securely. It flew closer towards one of the towers of the castle. Three guards were standing at the post on top of the tower. Bat flew nearer, fast, appearing from the dark. It flew towards the guard that had his back facing him. Before bat was close a strange transformation began. The leathery wings turned in to a black cape, claws became hand and feet and the creature grew in a blink of an eye. Guard never realised what hit him when he felt something pushing him and he fell over the edge to his death.

Count Dracula's reflexes were way faster than any mortal human's. By the time third guard had heard the scream and turned around he saw Count, in his waving black cape and his red eyes, breaking the neck of the other guard without even breaking a sweat. The third guard raised his crossbow but Dracula threw it from his hands and then raised the guard up, holding him from his throat. Dracula sank his teeth to the guard's throat and drank the blood to satisfy his hunger. Then he dropped the dead man down. For a moment the Dark Count enjoyed the feeling of hot blood coursing through him and the cold wind on his face. Then he looked down from the tower and like a gigantic insect started to crawl down the wall. He moved towards the window where was coming light.

_In the village:_

Gabriel Van Helsing arrived later to the village than Anna Valerious and her men. He had made sure that Mortte and his daughter would be taken to the tower and that Carl was safe also. He had also in a haste given Carl his strange ring and asked if he could find something out of it. If Carl couldn't nobody could. Young friar had just shrugged his shoulders and probably said something sarcastic when Van Helsing had already headed towards the doors.

Even from faraway Van Helsing could see the form of Anna Valerious, riding on a huge black horse, with her sword swinging in the air. She and five of her men were surrounding a wild werewolf near the end of the village. They seem to be able to hand well so Van Helsing focused on the other two werewolves, trying to see where he would be most needed. At least seven men were attacking one near the church. Van Helsing heard voices coming from the river and saw some battling there also. He was about to head there when he saw something near the castle wall. When he came closer he recognised the guard uniform in the middle of a huge pond of blood. Van Helsing looked up to the tower from which man must have fallen and recognised it as the same where Mortte were.

_This is a plot_, he realised. Werewolves were attacking anywhere but the castle and some guards were at the dungeons making sure Prince Velkan wouldn't escape in his latest form. Mortte and his daughter had the minimise security. Van Helsing cursed and ran back inside the castle.

_In the tower: _

"Father, I can't believe you're still planning on staying in this country!" Isabella exclaimed in the room where she was pacing, while Dr. Mortte was sitting at the edge of the bed.

"I'm sorry, Bella, but you know my work…" Mortte started but was cut of by her sobbing daughter throwing her arms around his neck.

"Oh Father, can't you see? Ever since you said that you would come here I've been having this terrible feeling and my dreams…they're all filled with terrible images of this country. We haven't been here even a whole day and night when were already been attacked by vampires, that young prince turned to a werewolf in front of you and there is something terrible happening in the village! We should never have come here" she cried as her father tried desperately to comfort her.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I'm so sorry; I didn't know it would be like this. I've been waiting for the opportunity so long that I didn't consider…I'm sorry" Mortte whispered to his daughter.

Mortte and Isabelle were jumped up from the bed when the window was suddenly opened and the wind came blowing in. Isabella gasped as she saw the majestic figure of Count Dracula stepping inside.

"Good evening. I am Dracula" he said politely, though his voice held something so unearthly cold that they hardly even heard what he said.

The father's instinct to protect his daughter made Mortte act and he took crucifix from his pocket, where he had kept it ever since they arrived to Transylvania. He raised it in front of him and daughter.

For a moment Dracula looked at the crucifix curiously, as if considering what to do and then approached them slowly and turned around so fast that the edge of his cape released crucifix from Mortte's trembling hand, making it fall to the floor. Dracula's strong grip took hold of Mortte.

"You play your wits against mine" Dracula hissed. "Against me who commanded nations hundreds of years before you were born. You fool!"

"Stop it! Let him go, you fiend!" Isabella cried, tears running down her face.

Dracula arrogantly pushed Mortte from him and the doctor hit his head to the wall.

"Father!" Isabella shouted and took step to her father when she felt some invisible force commanding her to look at the aristocratic monster she knew was still in the room.

She turned her eyes to him and gasped. Dracula's eyes were not red anymore but steel blue. His face didn't show any sings of cruelty but more of longing and…love. Isabella didn't find herself afraid of him, but mesmerised.

Count Dracula watched as the young woman took a slow step towards him, never taking her eyes off from his. He smiled gently as he felt the certain warm feeling in his chest. It had been so long when he felt it. He raised his hands from the covers of his cape and caressed her cheeks.

"At last I have you again…" he whispered softly "…Sabrina".

Just then the door was pushed open and the spell was broken. Isabella felt like she had just woken from a dream and found herself without recollection what had happened. She saw her father on the floor and jumped to beside him.

Dracula turned his head to the intruder and was about to attack when the shock held him still. He looked at the mortal warrior who had entered. "Gabriel?" he asked.

Van Helsing also felt like his reflexes where paralysed. Here in front of him was the man whose death he had seen in his dreams every night for the last seventeen years. More shocking was the fact that Dracula obviously knew him.

"Gabriel Van Helsing" Dracula said, slow smirk appearing to his lips. "I should have known that they'd send you after me. They've always held a certain sense of irony, don't you think?"

Van Helsing felt being lost. "How do you know me?" he managed to ask from his dry throat.

Dracula let out a cold laugh. "You don't remember do you?" he said, enjoying his feeling of superiority.

Van Helsing eyed around the room. He needed to get Dracula as far away from Mortte and Isabella as possible. He started to take careful steps to left and Dracula instinctively walked to the right, circling him.

"Exactly what is it I should remember?" he asked carefully.

Dracula seemed surprised for a moment. "Have they really taken everything? Well then, old friend, allow me to give you few pieces back" he said. Suddenly Dracula leapt towards Van Helsing and before he had time to do anything vampire count's cold fingers landed to his temples. And suddenly a flash of memory appeared from Van Helsing's past in front of his eyes.

**The next chapter will have that promised piece of information from their past. Not all is reviled yet. Though I'm sure you can use your imagination. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not owe them. Well, Isabella and Mortte maybe, but not others. **

_Transylvania, 1469_

_The sound of the swordplay echoed through every room of the Castle Valerious. It was a hard for servants trying to carry their daily duties when they also tried to avoid running in to a two young men fighting against each others. They had stripped their heavy coats and capes away and were only wearing shirts above the waist. _

"_Really, Gabriel, I think you're starting to get tired. We haven't even started yet" said a young noble man with long black hair and steel-blue eyes. _

"_Don't be too arrogant, Vlad. It will otherwise be your downfall" said another man with green eyes and brown hair. _

_Gabriel Van Helsing and Vladislaus Valerious had been friends since their childhood. They had met during numerous of occasions when their fathers were having important meetings. Vladislaus was the son of Valerious the Elder, King of Transylvania and Gabriel was the son of Transylvanian General Tiberius Van Helsing. As Gabriel didn't have any brothers and Vladislaus despised all of his they had build a strong friendship and soon became almost inseparables. _

_Gabriel charged but Vlad merely step out of his way allowing him to pass him and almost feel to the floor. _

"_How in God's name you think you will continue in your father's place is beyond me" Vlad said, his voice mocking but also humorous. _

_Fire lit up in Gabriel's eyes and he composed himself and attacked. This time Vlad had to really defend himself if he wished to keep all of his limps. Their battle ended with both of their swords flying from their hands and they kept wrestling on the floor. Finally Gabriel managed to lock Vlad's head in his armpit. _

"_Well, Vlad? Will you give up?" Gabriel asked laughing. _

"_Never!" young Valerious shouted and tried to untie himself from Gabriel's grip without succeeding. _

"_Boys, boys, boys! Leave that to Turks!" shouted powerful voice from the door. Both young men let go of each others and stand respectably straight. _

_Valerious the Elder had walked in the room. His had grey hair and beard and he had dressed in a fine red robe. He looked down at the boys, for a moment watching them with his full authority before his face warmed into a smile. He walked to his son. _

"_Vlad, this is a great day. Today you have become a member of the Sacred Order of the Dragon" Valerious said, placing his hands to his son's shoulders and kissing his cheeks._

_For a moment Vlad's face seemed to be held bewilderment and shock before he controlled himself. Gabriel understood this. Sacred Order of the Dragon was one of the most powerful societies in Eastern Europe. Its main purpose was to protect the Christendom from Muslim Turks. _

_Valerious the Elder took a ring from his finger and gave it to Vlad. It was a little black ring with a seal of the dragon in it. "When I became the member I was given the name Dracul which means the dragon. Now you are the dragon's son. From this day forward you shall carry a name that will be respected by your friends and feared by your enemies. You are to known as Vlad Dracula". _

_Vlad looked at the ring in his hands and then his father. "Thank you, father" he said humbly. Gabriel could saw the fascination Vlad had for the ring and the name and the power they represented. _

_As the King left the two young men a young woman with brown curls and white skin came in. She looked at Vlad and Gabriel for a while, taking in their messy hair and sweaty foreheads. She sighed. _

"_Have you two been fighting against each others again?" she asked, putting her hands to her hips. _

_Both men smiled and Gabriel walked towards the woman. "Now don't start to imitate mother. God knows we had enough of dealing with her" he said laughing. He quickly kissed the girl to the cheek and walked to the door. "We'll end the fight some other time, Vlad" he said before walking out. Just before he closed the door he looked in and smiled as he saw Vlad and the girl having a deep passionate kiss. They broke out unwillingly and whispered to each others. _

"_I love you, Vlad Valerious" the girl said. _

"_I love you too, Sabrina Van Helsing". _

_Gabriel closed the door, leaving his best friend and his only sibling to themselves. _

Gabriel Van Helsing felt like the entire world was spinning. He needed to breathe in and out very deeply before he could feel his balance returning. The sudden memory image he had received was totally new; he had never seen it before in his dreams. And yet, it felt so familiar.

Van Helsing realised to his horror that neither Isabella nor Dracula was anymore present in the room. Mortte was still lying on the floor and Carl appeared at the door.

"What in Heaven's name has happened here?" young friar asked.

Van Helsing looked down of the open window and saw a black figure crawling down the wall carrying a young woman. Gabriel rushed to door passing Carl. "No time to explain, take care of Mortte!" he shouted.

He ran the stairs down and outside the castle where he just saw a carriage going away from the castle. Carriage was old and it was pulled by four black horses. In the side of the carriage was a familiar icon. Same he saw every night in his dream.

Symbol of the Dragon. Dragulia.

With a speed Van Helsing had never had to use before he ran to the stables to fetch himself a horse and then whipped the poor animal to catch the black carriage. It took no time for him to see the carriage as they were going to the forest. Van Helsing also noticed that they were passing Anna Valerious who had obviously saline the werewolf attacking the village.

"Anna! It is Dracula! He had Isabella!" Van Helsing shouted as clearly as he could while riding. From the corner of his eye he saw that Anna was starting to ride after them.

Van Helsing didn't know how badly his horse was suffering but it didn't take long for him to reach the carriage. He jumped from his horse to the side of the carriage and jumped to the top. Driver, a hunchback deformed little man, saw him.

"Master!" Igor shouted.

In a blink of an eye Count Dracula materialised from the thin air. A cold smile played on his lips. "Gabriel, back so soon asking for more memories?" he asked.

Van Helsing wasn't going to let him be distracted this time. "Let the girl go!" he demanded.

Dracula's amused expression changed to disappointed one. "Oh Gabriel, you still don't get it. There is no way in this life to stop me. Why bother?" Dracula's cold voice said clearly in the night.

Van Helsing pulled his sword but Dracula was faster. Vampire took hold of hunter's wrist and his grip was so strong Van Helsing thought every bone in his arm would broke. He quickly took a crucifix with his free hand and placed it to Dracula's hand. The hissing sound of burning flesh was heard and Dracula pulled his hand away. Vampire's handsome features were now twisted with rage and his blue eyes were again red.

"You arrogant mortal!" he hissed. "I have given you your memories back! You shall have them all by time and I made it possible! You could show a little gratefulness!" Suddenly Dracula saw something. "What?" he shouted before realising what it was.

Anna Valerious had with acrobatic skills jumped to the top of the carriage from her horse and actually kicked Dracula with her high heeled boot. This insult made Dracula totally forget Van Helsing as he turned to Anna who had her sword. Van Helsing saw that he had only this moment and jumped to the side of the carriage and opening the door get in. Instead of finding seats he found a black coffin with a golden dragon carved to it. Isabella was shaking next to coffin, tears running down her face. Van Helsing pulled a crucifix and gave it to her. It immediately seemed to comfort her and he took hold of her shoulders. He didn't know how much time they would have until Count would notice his absence so he boldly pulled Isabella tightly against him and they jumped out of the carriage. For a moment they rolled on the ground. Isabella luckily had seemed to be still in shock and probably didn't even notice this.

Suddenly Van Helsing heard woman's cry and saw how Anna's body fell from the carriage. He moved quickly by her side and, for reasons unknown to him, sight in relief as he saw she was alive. Yet, she had a nasty bleeding wound. She was lucky.

Van Helsing raised his head and saw how carriage disappeared to the night. For a moment he saw two red eyes watching them. He sensed Dracula wouldn't be coming after them anymore tonight but he also could hear his cold voice whispering to his ear.

_This isn't over. Not by a long shot. _

**AN: Phew, flashback and action in a same chapter. I'm exhausted and I hope you like it and send some of those lovely reviews. **


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Sorry it has taken this long to update. Christmas and all…**

"In the name of all Saints and Angles, what the hell has happened, Van Helsing?" shouted a young friar named Carl as he ran down from the castle to a horse coming near him. The horse was rode by Van Helsing who was holding unconscious Anna Valerious in his arms. Behind Van Helsing sat Isabella Mortte, looking much shaken.

"Carl, even tough you may not be actual monk I doubt that cursing is allowed to you" answered tired Van Helsing. "Right now I need you to help Miss Isabella to the castle and give her brandy or something. How is Doctor Mortte?"

"Mortte is fine, but that werewolf, Prince Velkan, escaped" Carl said.

Van Helsing's head shot up immediately and he looked quickly to his surroundings.

"He is not here, for God's sake! While you were riding and I was taking care of the good doctor our dear Count let his brides inside the castle. They killed some of the guards and let Prince out of his cell. I saw them leaving the castle from the tower window" Carl explained patiently while helping Isabella down.

This didn't ease Van Helsing one bit.

It took almost three hours to have some order in the castle again. Anna had somewhat regained her consciousness and Mortte was now with her to examine her wound better. She hadn't been bitten, merely wounded.

Isabella had been given some laudanum to help getting sleep.

Van Helsing was looking outside from the window. All his life, seventeen last years actually, he had had remarkable way of sensing evil's presence. He sensed that no evil was near by now, yet he felt uneasy. The whole day had been one big ordeal. He hadn't had much rest or food, not that he ever needed much but neither had he ever had to face vampires, werewolves and Lord of the Undeads in one day.

And then there had been that flashback, image of his past. It was disturbing that he had seen himself living in Transylvania in the 15'Th century, just like in his dreams. More disturbing was that he really didn't have difficulties to believe this. How it was possible was beyond him. Yet Van Helsing was not dissatisfied. The image had verified the thing his dream suggested. He and Dracula had been friends. When the image had come to him so had memories of how he felt then. He had felt brotherhood and respect to Vlad Dracula. Yet the creature he had faced tonight was monster, a demon, whose eyes told that he got his kicks from other people sufferings. In his dreams he saw the impaled corpses and the children he was about to drown. What changed him? What made him turn to the darkness? Van Helsing needed to know. And he knew where to start.

"Carl, what do you know about the Sacred Order of the Dragon?"

Carl seemed to be somewhat puzzled by the question but answered. "Not much I'm afraid. Only that it was a powerful society here in Eastern Europe centuries ago. Its purpose was to stop foreigners to invade in Europe. It no longer exists. Why do you ask, Van Helsing?"

"Do you still have the ring I gave earlier?" Van Helsing answered with a question.

Stunned Carl located the ring from his robes. "I haven't have time to study it with all what has gone on" he confessed.

Van Helsing looked at the seal in the ring. "Carl, don't ask me how but I have reason to believe this is the seal of the Order. I want you to try to find as much as you can from Valerious library about the order around in the 15'Th century and if Dracula had any connections to it. Also try to find if Dracula was ever married and if so to whom" Van Helsing said with a tone that told the young friar to act not ask.

"How much time do I have?"

"Not much I'm afraid" Van Helsing told.

Van Helsing was right. When he came near to Anna's chamber he heard Mortte's voice.

"I'm sorry, princess. I know I gave promises to cure your brother but…me and my daughter have become prays more than once in the course of one day. It is not in my behaviour to turn back but…that creature came to my room and took Isabella. I can't even imagine what all could have happened. I'm sorry that we waste your time, princess, but we leave back to Vatican tomorrow" Heinrich Mortte, scientist but also a father, said.

Anna sighed deeply. "I understand," she said. "Maybe you can still examine his blood in Vatican?" she asked hopefully.

Mortte was silence.

"Tough what use would that do?" Anna muttered bitterly. "He is gone now. Brainwashed by that monster".

Mortte left the room and Van Helsing entered.

"How are you, princess?" he asked.

"Don't use that title" she snapped.

"How are you, Anna?" Van Helsing tried again.

Anna Valerious had a small smile. It had been time when someone else except her brother had called her just Anna. She rather liked to be called just Anna.

"I'm hanging" she said. "Tomorrow I'm going to see that Morttes will get to the Varna and then I'm going to find my brother".

"I'm sorry that you have to carry this burden all by yourself" Van Helsing said. He couldn't really say why he felt so strangely around her. "I'm going to cable to Vatican tomorrow. With your permission I'd like to stay for a while" he said. Truthfully he didn't believe he would be allowed to stay. Still he could buy few days and maybe learn more of this mystery he liked to call his past.

Anna looked at him curiously. "We'll see," she finally just said. "Mortte told me that you brought me back to castle and that you had also tried to clean and dress my wound" she added.

"I did my best considering the circumstances" Van Helsing said, feeling slightly uncomfortable. In order to clean the wound he had to open her cleavage. It had not matter back then in hurry but now the memory of her revealed part of the body was repeated in his head. Van Helsing had spent the last seventeen years mostly hunting monsters. His social life had been somewhat…limited.

Anna noticed this change in his behaviour. "Did you take a peek?" she asked with her mouth wide open.

Van Helsing had to think fast. "Peek? As if there had been something worth peeking at". His limited social life was showing.

Somewhere in Valerious library Carl raised his head out of the dusty volumes of books and documents. He was sure he had heard someone being slapped hard.

**AN: More peaceful chapter now with less action. Not my best ones but I hope you haven't give up the hope yet. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Hmph, seems like my jinks stroke again. The number of my readers seems to have lessened dramatically. Darn…**

**Well, maybe you remember me now. **

Early next morning both Heinrich Mortte and his daughter Isabella, both still very tired after hardly sleeping at all, climbed in to a carriage, destined to take them to Varna where a ship would travel them to Vatican. Anna Valerious had personally come to travel with them, to look that Mortte and his daughter would get safe to Varna. Once they would be at the ocean Dracula could not harm them. Anna sat at the driver's seat in the carriage and three of he men were riding side the carriage. Both Gabriel Van Helsing and Carl were riding by horses near them.

"Carl," Anna shouted from the carriage.

Young friar rode next to carriage. "Yes, Princess?" he asked.

"I've noticed that the sky is unnaturally cloudy. No sun light is seen. I think it's best to let Van Helsing know about this" she said.

Carl would have wanted to ask why Anna didn't just tell her business to Van Helsing directly, but after seeing Van Helsing's angry red cheek he decided better of it. Instead he rode next to Van Helsing.

"I doubt I actually need to tell you this but you've seen recently our current climate?" Carl said.

"It's suspiciously cloudy, I know! Jesus, does she take me as a complete idiot?!" Van Helsing muttered darkly.

Carl wasn't sure if he had asked him or had it been rhetorical question but he decided not to answer. Instead he just yawned.

"Why are you tired, Carl?" Van Helsing asked.

Carl looked Van Helsing like he was five years old. "I'm tired because you send me to find some long forgotten information in the Valerious library. I spend almost entire night there!" he commented angrily. "I could have spent the night sleeping in a warm bed, but no! Nor could I spend the night enjoying warm beer down in the village pub or with that barmaid I saw there evening…" his voice suddenly trailed off.

Van Helsing raised an eyebrow. "Carl, I'm not sure you really care of your wows" he said.

"Shut up!"

For a while they rode in silence.

"Well…?" Van Helsing's voice finally asked.

"Well what?" asked irritated Carl.

"Well did you find anything useful from the library?"

"Oh! Er…no, nothing about Order of the Dragon, but the seal in your ring is definitely the Order's seal. But I did found an old, incomplete document about Dracula's wife" he added.

Van Helsing's attention was Carl's now. He could still see the image of his past in his mind. Young, happy looking Dracula kissing young girl called… Sabrina Van Helsing. His sister, of whom he knew nothing about.

"What did you found out about her?" he asked.

"Well, according to the document Count Dracula was married to a daughter of the General who fought in his father's army. It seems they loved each others very strongly, so strongly they couldn't live without each others. When Dracula was on battlefields fighting against the Turks a letter was sent to his wife. It carried false news of Dracula's death and his wife flung herself to the river. When Dracula found out he became bloodthirsty monster who killed even his own men" Carl told.

"So he became monster when he was still alive" Van Helsing said, remembering the impaled bodies in his dreams. "Did you found out his wife's name?"

"No, as I said it was incomplete old document. It only described the circumstances of her death and Dracula's last days. It seems that he met his demise following year" Carl said.

"But not permanently…" Van Helsing muttered. This was all too much. In his dreams he had been the one to kill Dracula, just like he had playfully fought against him in that strange vision. Through whose eyes had he seen these happening? Some ancestor he didn't know? But he was called Gabriel Van Helsing in these visions. Had it truly been his past? Funnily, Van Helsing was more willing to accept that as an answer. Years he had spent hunting peoples of the night had teach that anything is possible.

Suddenly that cold feeling crept to him. That feeling that made alarming voice in his head and made his body tense. The feeling that had always warned him the presence of evil. He looked up to the skies and saw that they were as cloudy as yesterday when they had come. God, had it been so little time ago? Vampires could move in the day time now. He looked around him. They were currently making their way through a deep forest. Alarm bells in his head were ringing fully now.

He quickly rode before the carriage and saw Anna holding her blade close. She had lived in Transylvania her all life so she also felt the feeling of something being wrong. They rode still forward but trying to detect any sings of some other being.

"Stop the carriage" Anna said suddenly to the driver next to her.

In the middle of the road, right in front of them was standing a figure of a man. To anyone else he would have seemed like a young man who had partied too much last night. His dark hair was a mess and his skin was sickly pale. His arms were shaking and he looked like he was about to vomit. He raised his head, revealing his face.

"Velkan!" Anna said breathlessly.

Not a move was made. Everyone was expecting something to happen. Anna was fighting the urge to run and hug her brother.

"Hey, Anna" Velkan said with a weak, broken voice.

"Hey, Velkan" Anna answered. "Where did you go last night?"

"To his castle" he answered.

Both Anna and Gabriel drew breath. "You know where it is?" Anna asked.

"Yes".

"Where?"

Velkan shook his head. "The choice is not mine to make. He has forbidden me to tell" he said. Then they saw his dark eyes turning to yellow. "Kill me, Anna!" Velkan shouted when the transformation occurred. In a blink of an eye Velkan disappeared and in his place was gigantic werewolf, covered with black fur. His claws and tooth looked unnervingly sharps.

Before anyone could make a move another werewolf attacked from the forest and two Brides from the sky. All of Anna's guards were suddenly down. And so would be Carl if he hadn't been able to jump down from the horse that became werewolf's lunch.

It all became such a blur. Van Helsing tried to analyze the situation but found it almost impossible. He attacked the Brides that were drinking blood from Anna's men, while Anna herself was fighting against her own brother. Unfortunately that left the other werewolf who was ripping his way to the carriage. Van Helsing took his sword and cut off leg from one Bride. He knew that it caused them only a moment of pain before they would regenerate the leg. Only heart and head are the lethal parts.

Van Helsing turned around and saw that werewolf had now ripped part of the carriage open and was hungrily looking inside. Van Helsing felt his stomach twist. There was no way he could stop that monster now.

But then he hear a gun shot and werewolf fell down the ground and transformed to a bald dead man who had a bullet wound in his forehead. Van Helsing saw Heinrich Mortte holding a smoking gun in his shaking hand. It was a gun given to him by Anna Valerious, holding silver bullets. Van Helsing would have been ready to marry and carry children for Anna right then and there.

His happiness was shortly lived as another Bride attacked carriage. Mortte shot her but she only laughed. "Fool! Silver doesn't effect on vampires!" she hissed and throw Mortte away.

Van Helsing launch himself towards the Bride but another one attacked him. "This is for my leg!" she screamed and hit Van Helsing. "And this is for Marishka!" Another blow. "And this-"

She didn't finish it for Van Helsing cut off both of her hands with his sword. She screamed and flew to the sky. Van Helsing turned his attention back to the other Bride who was holding Isabella by the wrist. But then something incredible happened.

Out of the blue Anna jumped to the other Bride, forcing her to let go of Isabella. Anna raised her blade in an attempt to cut of vampires head but other Bride, who had now regenerated her arms as well as her leg, took the blade from her and threw it away. Van Helsing watched helplessly as the three women flew higher and higher and ultimately disappeared totally.

He quickly looked around. Carl seemed to be little shocked, Isabella was taking care of her father who was trying to stand top and Velkan…had disappeared yet again. Van Helsing watched to the direction where Anna and Brides disappeared. To a little village called Biztrits.

**AN: Both Varna and Biztrits are dedication for Bram Stoker's novel. **


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: Once again I owe nothing. No money is made of this fic and only thing I need for a reward is few good appreciated reviews. **

"Janko! Janko! Get here now!"

Janko, the landlord of the Biztrits inn, tiredly moved himself from the kitchen and away from his warm meal to the desk where his wife was. "What is it now?" he asked irritated.

"We have quests" she said simply, nervously fingering her dark hair.

"Well, what of it? Surely you can take care of them" Janko said, not understanding her wife's nervousness.

"Well, look at them!" she said pointing to the window.

Janko looked out to the yard and felt his jaw hitting the ground. Four people were outside, all foreigners he noticed. A young man dressed in monk's robes, an elder man with glasses held a protective hand on a young woman's shoulder and a tall man with long brown hair dressed in a big hat and coat. During the last 48 years Janko had seen many different people but never such a strange looking company as this.

"We want two rooms with two beads in each. As close to each others as possible" said the tall man with a voice that told Janko not to start asking stupid questions.

"We have two rooms next to each others in an upper floor. There is a door that goes from one to the other" Janko said.

"We'll take them" man said and tossed a purse full of coins to Janko. "Arrange us something to eat" Gabriel Van Helsing said to the innkeeper before he guided others to the upper floor.

Mortte and his daughter settled to one room, Carl and Van Helsing to the next one. Van Helsing removed his boots and gave a relieved sigh as he lay down to a modest bed. He had been in worse places. He remembered how a German aristocrat who had sold his soul to the dark forces had been buried him alive in an old crypt. Or the other time he had faced Mr. Hyde and the damn monster had nearly ripped his head off.

Carl also was used of spending time in uncomfortable places. But he was not used to bad situations.

"Van Helsing, what are we here waiting for? Shouldn't we be looking for Princess Anna?" he asked worriedly, changing his weight from one foot to the other.

"We wait here for them to contact us, Carl. Don't you know that the hardest part of the fishing is waiting the fist to come to you? We know that Anna is somewhere in this village, we saw them flying here. We know that she is alive for if their intentions would have been killing her they would have dropped her to the ground. We know that Count wants Isabella. We have her so they are probably going to use Anna to get to her. I don't know what but I do know that whatever they are going to do they're going to do it soon" Van Helsing explained.

"So we just have to wait here?" Carl asked aghast.

There was a knock on the door and Janko entered, carrying a trait of something steaming that smelled delicious. He also hand a letter to Van Helsing. "This was leaved to you, sir" Janko said.

Van Helsing opened the letter.

_Gabriel,_

_Meet me outside in five minutes. Come alone. _

_-D_

"Who handed this letter?" Van Helsing asked.

"A hideous hunchback" Janko said a left the room.

_The must have spied us when we came_, Van Helsing thought. He moved the letter to his pocket and put the heavy boots back on. "I'm going to go outside, Carl. I'll investigate the surroundings" he said and walked to door. "Don't leave these rooms before I come back. If I'm not back for the night leave to Varna first thing tomorrow and don't look back" he added and left before young friar had anything to say.

Outside Van Helsing looked to the skies. It was still suspiciously cloudy. Count's powers are great he realized. The cold uncomfortable feeling returned and he sensed the presence. Van Helsing looked around and saw him standing opposite him in the street. His black cape hid his aristocratic clothes making him look less out of place. He had black gloves and his hair was pulled black. Count Dracula smiled as Van Helsing approached him.

"Shouldn't you be in bed this time of day?" Van Helsing asked.

Dracula gave a dry laugh. "Same old Gabriel; always trying to be the funny one".

"What do you want?" Van Helsing asked.

"You know what I want. I want the girl" Count said.

"You will not have her, you demon. I swear if you even touch her-"

"You will do…what? Kill me, perhaps? You've already done that and look how well that turned out".

Van Helsing stopped. He remembered his dream. "You said that you couldn't die because hate like yours would never die. What is it that you hate? Or who do you hate?" he asked. Dracula stayed silent and unmoving as a statue. Van Helsing wondered for a moment. "How much did you love Sabrina?" he asked, surprising both of them with his question.

For a moment a shot of red appeared in Dracula's steel-blue eyes. But then he recovered. "All my life, my human life that is, I can't remember a time I had not been filled with battle and war inside me. You don't remember much, Gabriel, but during the time of our youth Eastern Europe was in a brink of war with Turk. I was born to battle, ever since my childhood the war was my only goal. I have always felt the fore raging inside of me. Even in our childhood games I was willing to fight and win. But never with Sabrina. Whenever your sister was around I felt peace and calm. I didn't feel the desire to kill and conquer when I was with her. To everyone else I was master and lord but to her I was slave, ready to do anything for her. My enemies and competitors called me Dracula and Tépés, the devil and the impailer, but she called me love and husband. You can't understand what it is like to lose someone like her from your life" Dracula said. He spoke passionately but the coldness of his voice never left completely.

"Why did you succumb to this? I know it must have hurt when she killed herself but…" what Van Helsing was about to say never was said. Dracula gave a cold mocking laugh and removed clove from one of his hands. Van Helsing didn't sense any immediate danger so he didn't react in time when Dracula's cold fingers touched his forehead.

_It was night. Black sky was seen trough the windows. A dark haired man with steel-blue eyes entered an old cathedral. He was dressed in black armour that had a golden dragon in its chest. His loyal men waited outside. He walked fast towards the altar that had priests hovering over it. He walked close to the body laid before it. A young woman's body. Man fell to the ground next to the body and touched woman's pale face gently with his hand. _

"_Sabrina…" Prince Vladislaus Valerious chocked. _

"_I am sorry for this tragedy, Prince" said an elder priest with grey beard coming toward him. _

"_Wh-What happened?" Vladislaus managed to ask between his sobs. He didn't care that priests saw his tears. _

"_The Turks send her a letter claiming that you had died, my lord. It send her to madness and she drowned herself in to the river" priest said. _

"_She was supposed to be safe here, in the cathedral. Wait till I've returned" Vladislaus cried. _

"_My mistress did not kill herself!" shouted a voice from the back of the room. _

_Everyone, including grief struck prince, raised their heads to a limping, pale woman who seemed to be wounded. She was holding tightly on her rib and everyone saw immediately that her simple clothes were soaked with blood. _

"_I know that woman. She is one of my wife's chamber maids!" Prince Vladislaus said and run to the woman who collapsed to his arms. His years in the battles told him that the woman had been pierced with sharp object and that she had lost too much blood that anything could be done for her now. "What do you mean my wife didn't commit suicide?" he asked. _

"_She was murdered by your brother Radu, sire" she said weakly. Vladislaus gasped. _

"_She is hysterical, possessed by demon, my lord. Don't listen to that witch" the old priest tried to interfere but was silenced by prince. _

"_Tell me more" prince said._

"_He came here, Prince Radu, and he wanted to be alone with mistress. I soon heard yelling and shouting. My mistress had denied him his carnal desires. He killed her and ordered his soldiers to kill us," woman winced with pain, "…the priests are his servants. He wanted that mistress would come here because he had wanted her so long. This is his church…" she coughed badly. "They killed everyone but I escaped and I waited in the cellars till you came, sire" she whispered. _

_Prince Vladislaus spoke tenderly. "You've done well" he said. _

"_It hurts" woman winced. _

"_I know" Prince said softly and in blink of an eye snapped the woman's neck broken. _

_He walked to the altar and raised Sabrina's dead body to his arms. He walked to the door with a stern unmoving cold look. _

"_Prince Valerious?" priest asked, scared for his life. _

_Prince Vlad turned one time at the door to look the priest. "I am Dracula" he said. _

_He walked out of the church to his horse. He climbed up holding the dead body close to him. "Lieutenant!" he shouted. _

"_Yes, my lord?" asked an armoured man._

"_This church is filled with traitors. Burn it down and let no one come out alive" he said before riding away, leaving his lieutenant with his terrible task. _

**AN: Damn, it took me all day to do this! You better send some reviews now. **


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey all. This week has certainly not been my best ones. I hope it won't show too much in this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: Stoker and Summers owes them. Not I.**

The moment the vision from the dead past disappeared Gabriel Van Helsing had to put his head down to take breath and wait till the spinning in his eyes would end. For a moment he was afraid that this was again Count Dracula's trick to distract him while he could attack the inn. But no, Nosferatu was still standing next to him and Van Helsing sensed no threat coming from him. He was merely expecting Van Helsing to pull himself together.

After a while Van Helsing finally managed to stand straight and face his friend from centuries ago.

"Did that actually happen?" Van Helsing asked.

"Yes, many centuries ago. After that night I offered my soul to darkness so I could avenge the death of my wife, your sister, Gabriel" Dracula said.

"That's when your reign of terror began. You started impale those people, both Turks and your own country men!" Van Helsing said accusingly as more and more of his past started to see light.

"Only criminals and traitors, Gabriel" vampire said calmly.

"And so your father ordered me to come and get you home where he could keep eye on you or…" Van Helsing went silence.

"Kill me" amused Dracula finished.

"And I did kill you. But you had already made a pact with forces of darkness" astonished Van Helsing continued. "And I remember…I remember now…few months after we started heard rumours that you had been seen attacking people by night. You wanted vengeance against your brother, Radu Valerious, the ancestor of Anna! That's what this is all about! That is why you and Valerious have been fighting for centuries" Van Helsing finished in a whisper, his eyes wide.

Dracula clapped his hands. "Bravo, Gabriel, you've finally learned to use those brains of your, haven't you? If I do recall correctly you caused a lot of headache to our captains in military school. You were always so hot headed, jumping right in to the battle. Never stopping to think strategies" vampire smiled, or more smirking.

Van Helsing felt another memory coming, or more feeling of a something that happened. "I remember that you were always fighting against captains. You never were good at taking orders".

"If you take orders you're a slave! I am Dracula, master of my own. I serve nobody!" Dracula said, his face twisting and his voice showing rage. Then he calmed and looked directly to Van Helsing. "But you're always serving, aren't you? First the captains, then my father and now…Him" he said, pointing to the cross around Van Helsing's neck.

"After you found out about my little…transformation you fled to Vatican to pray God for forgiveness. And now, after all these years, this God of yours has sent you back to kill me again" Dracula laughed.

Van Helsing was loss of words. Dracula laughed.

"Oh, you know I'm telling you the truth. Why do you think you were returned here without your memory with only one hint to your past: my ring which you stole from my dead finger after killing me by that lake" Count said. "It's just the part of their big game: Heaven and Hell, good and evil. And we are merely pawns on the chessboard. But I escaped, Gabriel, and so can you! It's not too late yet. Join me. Become one with immortals. We could still be friends, brothers".

For once Dracula's voice didn't sound so cold, it sounded almost pleading. One of the memories, or feelings, told Van Helsing that they had been best of friends. Brothers, as Dracula said. And his offering was tempting. How good it would feel to leave this all behind. To leave Vatican, God and this damn hunting behind him and be able to rest. But Van Helsing knew that this would not be the way.

"You know I can't accept that offer. I am no more that Gabriel you knew as you are the Prince Vlad I once knew. And we can't go back. No matter how much I would want it" Van Helsing said solemnly.

There was a look of disappointment in Dracula's face. It then returned back to cold. "Then we shall have to do this the old way. Bring the girl to the clearing in the forest just outside the west gate at midnight. I'll trade the Princess to the girl" Dracula said.

"You know that I'll do anything to save them both" Van Helsing said.

"You're still so hot-headed" Dracula muttered.

"There is still one thing I don't understand" Van Helsing said. "What do you want from Isabella Mortte?" he asked.

Dracula started to laugh cruelly. "Gabriel, surely you can recognise your own sister when you see her!"

Van Helsing had feared this was the case. Isabella Mortte had curly, brown hair and brown eyes. Sabrina had had blonde hair and green eyes. But other than that they looked identical. Jaw, nose, cheeks etc. was identical. Van Helsing was snapped out of his thoughts by Dracula's voice.

"I saw a picture of her. I have spies all over continent and when a rumour that the Vatican doctor might find a way to cure lycanthropy they send information to me. The only picture they had of Mortte was the one with his daughter in it" Dracula explained.

It all came clear to Van Helsing. "So you arrange that Prince Velkan was to be turned to a werewolf knowing that Anna would contact Mortte and he would come…bringing Isabella to you in a silver plate".

"Bravo, Gabriel" Dracula clapped his hands again.

"Isabella is not Sabrina" Van Helsing said. It was true. What ever had made Isabella looked so much like Van Helsing's long since died sister they were not the same person. Isabella's and Sabrina's were personally too different.

"No more lies or talking, Gabriel. I'm tired" Dracula said with an irritated voice. "Bring the girl to the clearing or I shall end my quest for killing Valerious family members tonight".

**Yeah, I know it's shorter than usually but I'm writing this really late and all so…you excuse me this one time won't you?**


	12. Chapter 12

**Sorry it took this long to update. Didn't mean it to. And I'm sure I have more reader than just two.**

"No! Absolutely no! I forbid this" Heinrich Mortte shouted in a small room in a small inn in a small village of Biztrits.

"Please, try to keep your voice down" Carl tried to calm him down.

"This man…" Mortte said, gritting his teeth and pointing Van Helsing with a finger "was send to protect us from Vatican. And during the last 48 hours my daughter has been tried to kidnap three times, we've been attacked by werewolves and vampires and now…! Now this man who hasn't prove to be able to keep us safe wants to take my daughter to some dark woods where that demon is waiting and he tries to save both my daughter and Princess Anna!!! Forgive me sir if I say that I don't have much faith in your talents anymore".

Van Helsing just stood there silently taking all in. He couldn't blame Mortte. The entire stay in Transylvania had proved to be nothing but a failure after failure after failure. Both Princess Anna and her werewolf brother Velkan were kept held by Dracula who was demanding to get Isabella Mortte who had little resemblance towards a woman who died four centuries ago. A woman who happened to be Van Helsing's sister. Van Helsing felt that his head was starting to spin.

Really the only positive result that he had gained was killing one of Dracula's brides, but even that had happened because he had been underestimated.

A new voice suddenly spoke bringing Van Helsing back to this day.

"We need to do this" Isabella Mortte said.

"What? How can you say that?" Mortte exclaimed.

"Because it is true" Isabella said defiantly. "We can't just leave Princess Anna to that monster. I…" her voice started to tremble "…I saw that creature's eyes when he captured me yesterday. They were filled with darkness. We can't just do nothing! She needs help and…and if it means that I must risk myself then so be it" she said with tears in her eyes.

"Isabella…" Mortte whispered, not sure what he could or should say.

"I don't know why he is after me. But I do believe in God and His goodness. I can't loose that faith just as I can't let him kill Anna" Isabella said softly.

The room fell silent. All three males were looking at the young woman. Finally Van Helsing spoke.

"You truly are a brave woman, Miss Mortte. But I had just managed to explain the situation to your father before he started to object. I have no plans of getting you in the danger" he said smiling.

_Midnight:_

The moon was shining bright on the black sky, above the figure of Van Helsing. He was coming closer to a clearing in the forest. He had a torch in his hand and his other was resting on a shoulder of a young woman who had closed a hood over her head. As they arrived to the clearing they saw the imitating dark figure of Count Dracula, looking them with red eyes.

"What is this, Gabriel? You come alone? Little too much confidence in yourself, maybe?" Dracula laughed with mocking tone in his voice.

"Look whose talking" Van Helsing muttered. "Where is Princess Anna?" he then demanded.

Dracula chuckled and his lips rose in an insane grin. His two brides appeared suddenly from the night sky carrying Anna Valerious. She was pale and obviously weak but what Van Helsing could tell she was still human.

"Let us then do the trading. Let the girl come here and I'll let the princess go" Dracula's deep voice said.

"As if I'd trust you" Van Helsing said and started to walk with the shaking girl towards the hissing vampire women. They also started to approach. When all five were closer to each others than they preferred vampires let exhausted Anna fell to Van Helsing's arms as they catch the trembling girl. Van Helsing took hold of Anna and started to retrieve.

"Van Helsing…what are you…you can't let them take…" Anna tried desperately to form sentences.

"I'm not" Van Helsing said.

"WHAT?" shrieked the vampire bride.

A hissing sound of burning flesh was heard and both vampires screamed and backed off from the girl. Hood fell down revealing a young friar named Carl holding two silver crucifixes in his hands. Carl took quick steps to Van Helsing and Anna and soon was on their side. Van Helsing took his crossbow.

"If anyone comes a step closer to us you won't live to see next sunset" Van Helsing said.

For a moment everything was quiet in the woods. And then Count Dracula's majestic, diabolical laugh ran in the night. His fangs were showing from his mouth as he just laughed and laughed. Van Helsing felt the cold feeling in his stomach. What in Heaven's name had gone wrong?

"Oh, Gabriel. You are still as you've always been" Dracula said, clearly amused. "Still you have that unexplainable need to play hero and save everyone. When will you learn that you can't save us all?"

Just then they heard a sound from dark and the Count's coach appeared. It was drove by Igor, Dracula's deformed hunchback servant.

"We have her, Master. We have her!" Igor shouted with a satisfied smile on his face. At least one would think it's a smile.

Inside the coach sat three Romanian men and a young girl who had been tied up; Isabella.

"HOW?" Van Helsing roared.

"Let me guess what your plan was: you probably left Mortte and his daughter in that inn with holy water, silver bullets, stakes and crucifixes in case I or one of my brides would attack there. However, didn't we both learn that the sometimes you have to wait for fish to come to you?" Dracula smiled.

Igor laughed. "We set the inn in fire and waited for them to come out!" he laughed maniacally.

"Did you kill Mortte?"

Igor smiled. "We managed to beat Mortte down but the girl said she would use her stake to herself if we harmed her father. We left doctor unconscious in the gutter".

Van Helsing felt like the gates of Hell itself had been opened. _My God, I failed. They trusted me and I let them down._

"And now when everything is as it should be I must bid goodbye to you, Gabriel" Dracula said with a mocking bow. "But I thank you for the past tow days. I haven't have this much fun in 170 years!"

And then Dracula and his brides appeared top of the carriage as it started to road away. Van Helsing, snapping out of his guilty thoughts, was about to run after when that cold feeling returned.

And then a creature, which Van Helsing assumed had been Prince Velkan, appeared in front of them.

**I'm certainly not satisfied with this but it's the best I can offer now. Better luck next time. **


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey there! Sorry that it takes so long to update but beside my school and personal life, or what little I have, I'm writing two other fics beside this and re-posting one! **

**Okay to actual thing. Disclaimers same as always.**

Considering that he didn't remember everything from his past this might be too early to say, but Gabriel Van Helsing was quite sure he was having the worst day of his life. Not only had his 400 years old former friend-current nemesis played fool out of him, he had also betrayed the trust of a young woman and her father, and was desperately trying to help a weak princess. Oh yeah, and there is also this gigantic werewolf who was looking at Van Helsing with hunger in its eyes.

The creature was taking slow steps, constantly looking Van Helsing, Carl and Anna who were pushed together. Carl was doing his best not letting his silver stake holding hand shake, Anna was trying to stay alert and Van Helsing was trying to come up with some plan. Werewolf, who had been Prince Velkan in his former life, was preparing to attack.

_Wait, _Van Helsing thought, _that's right, he is still Prince Velkan. Velkan is a warrior of Valerious line. He will attack the strongest first!_

With a sudden movement Van Helsing pushed both Carl and Anna aside. Anna, still weak, fell to the ground and Carl followed her. Van Helsing aimed his crossbow and fired but the wolfish beast ducked the silver headed arrow with easiness. Hunter had no time to reload the crossbow so he threw it aside and pulled I silver sword from the depths of his coat. The creature jumped towards him and Van Helsing wounded it with his sword. Unfortunately the wound was not fatal. Werewolf took a look of its arm and then turned its eyes back to Van Helsing. Hunter was steadily holding his blade. Werewolf now knew that it was dangerous weapon. Wolf took a few slow steps and then launch it self towards Van Helsing. Van Helsing held his blade ready to strike but just when he did creature suddenly turned around and used it tail to send sword out of Van Helsing's hands. Wolf's tail was wounded but Van Helsing was unarmed now.

Creature turned again and threw Van Helsing to the ground. Van Helsing tried to think of something but he wasn't carrying any gun or knife with silver in it. Nothing else harmed those bastards. Werewolf came closer and raised its hand with sharp claws. Van Helsing had only one thing in his mind.

_This is it. The end. I'm so sorry…_

The werewolf made a strange sound from the back of its throat and fell to the ground, right in front of Van Helsing. Gabriel blinked before understanding dawned to him. An arrow was pointing out of the creatures back. Van Helsing raised his head and saw Anna Valerious standing there with his crossbow in her hands. For a moment it seemed time itself had stopped.

Then Anna fell to the ground. Van Helsing jumped up and rushed to her side.

"Anna! Princess Anna! Are you alright?!" he asked hurriedly.

Anna muttered something.

"What? What did you say?" Van Helsing asked.

"I said", the tiny voice spoke, "stop calling me princess".

Van Helsing smiled.

He put her arm around his shoulder and helped her to her feet. She was weak and tired. "They bit me", she explained, "to keep me weak. So I couldn't fight. But the Count said I wasn't to be killed or changed. He said no Valerious would ever receive his kiss of immortality. But they drank from me…those whores drank from me!" she spitted angrily.

She went suddenly quiet and Van Helsing followed her stare. The werewolf was still lying on the ground but it had changed back to its human form: Prince Velkan Valerious.

"Velkan…" Anna whispered.

Van Helsing helped her to the naked body of her brother. To their both surprise he was still alive.

"Hey, sis…" Velkan muttered, managing a small smile.

Anna dropped to her knees and spoke softly. "You're back as yourself. We can go home now and take care of you…"

Velkan smiled. "If I'm back myself it means I'm already dying. At least I don't hear his voice in my head again…" He coughed blood to the ground. Anna held his head gently in her hands.

"Borgos pass…" Velkan whispered, "his castle…in Borgos pass…"

Then he spoke no more.

Anna bend her head down and kissed her brothers forehead. "I'll see you one day again, on the other side" she whispered. Anna was silent for a moment before she spoke again. "Great, now it's raining" she said.

Van Helsing looked up to the sky but saw no clouds. "No, it's not" he said, rather confused.

"Yes, it is" Anna sniffed and Van Helsing saw tears coming down her cheeks.

Van Helsing chose to be silent. Comforting was something he had never truly learned. Instead he went to check that Carl wasn't seriously injured. He also looked to the sky and wondered how long it would take to get to Borgos pass. No matter how fast Dracula travelled he could not get in there before sun rise. Borgos pass must be closer to village where they left than this. And since Dracula hadn't harmed Isabella here or the time he first managed to kidnap her that meant whatever he was planning to do would happen in the castle. Till next sunset Isabella would be safe.

Van Helsing felt a wave of shame when he thought he should now face Dr. Mortte and explain why vampire lord has managed to kidnap his daughter again.

_**Elsewhere:**_

As sun was raising a small vessel left its harbour and started to steadily move in the river. A wind, which seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, gave it speed. A disgusting deformed hunchback moved across the deck and then made his way down to the darkness inside the vessel. Igor went to a dark room where he found three wooden boxes where Dracula, Verona and Aleera laid. Isabella was sitting silently in the corner.

"The captain and sailors have been braid, master. We'll be in Borgos pass around midday" Igor said.

Dracula seemed to be a sleep in the coffin but he spoke still. "Good, arrange our coffins to their right places when we get there. And make sure Sabrina feels herself comfortable. She is our quest of honour".

"Yes, Master" Igor said and left.

Isabella didn't know why Dracula was referring her as Sabrina and she was close to not caring anymore. She only prayed that God would be merciful for her soul.

She suddenly felt a pair of eyes staring at her. She looked to one of the coffins and saw the ebony haired woman looking at her. There was something in woman's eyes that made her pull back against the wall. Something dangerous.

Dracula suddenly laughed. "Well, well, Verona. I didn't think you'd be jealous type. You're wondering why this girl. What is so special in her? Why am I not paying mind to you anymore and constantly thinking of her? Well, Verona, I can forgive jealous thoughts but not rebellion ones".

"Master, I…" Verona started and Isabella could recognise fear in her voice.

"SILENCE! I have my reason to have this girl and I will not have you tempering with my plans. Don't think that I didn't hear your thoughts. You planned killing her! You planned taking her from me! Let me remind you that there is only one punishment for those who go against me!" Dracula roared.

Suddenly Verona jumped from her coffin. She was moving funnily, as if not by her choice but by someone else's command.

"Master! Master, please no! I promise! I promise it won't happen again! Master!" ebony haired bride screamed her face twisted with terror and agony.

But her prayers were not answered. Dracula's will force her to walk towards the door, to the deck, to the sunlight!

Isabella didn't see what happened but she heard a terrible, agonising scream of a dying woman. She put her hands to her ears trying not to hear. The sound stopped in a couple of seconds but it felt like years.

"Let this be lesson to you, Aleera" Dracula said, without opening his eyes.

Isabella noticed that Aleera's eyes were also closed, but there was a lonely tear landing her face.


	14. Chapter 14

**Well, hallo again and…let us just get down to the point.**

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

Gabriel Van Helsing, the former general of a Transylvanian army and a current monster hunter of Vatican, watched the Carpathian Mountains passing by as he stood in the little vessel Anna had managed to arrange for them. According to her getting to the Borgos pass is easier through river. Carl was there also, no matter how much Van Helsing had tried to protest.

"_Carl, I seriously don't think it's a good idea. You've seen so far how dangerous things could get. Not to mention how strong Dracula is in his castle" Van Helsing tried to reason the young friar. _

"_That maybe so but Cardinal Jinette gave me the direct order not to let you out of my sight. Beside who is the one who made those fancy guns to you? Who know great amount of spells in case Dracula has summoned phantoms and demons to guard his castle?" Carl asked. Van Helsing went quiet. Quietly Carl added "And tell you the truth, after spending so many years in monasteries and Brotherhood's quarters, this monster hunting has actually been quite refreshing"._

_Van Helsing stared Carl for a moment in wonder and then smiled._

Much more difficult had been facing Heinrich Mortte.

_Mortte had been injured that he was forced to stay in local monastery where he was being taken care of. _

"_Am I to understand that you are going to try to save my daughter, Van Helsing?" Mortte asked, lying in his bed, while Van Helsing was waiting for Anna to come back from arranging the vessel. _

"_Yes, sir, I promise I'll do my best" Van Helsing said, knowing how pathetic it sounded. _

_Mortte sighed. "As you did your best when you were supposed to protect us in Castle Valerious? Or when you said we were safe waiting in inn? Pegging your pardon but I have lost all confidence in your capability" elder man stated angrily, wincing when he tried to move and fell back to the bed. _

_Van Helsing felt like knife was twisting inside of him. He had failed, terribly. But he couldn't…he wouldn't fail again. He had lost Sabrina to the treachery and Vlad to the darkness. He was not going to loose anyone anymore. _

"_I swear to you, Dr. Mortte that I will bring you back your daughter alive and human even if it is the last thing I do. That is a sacred promise" Van Helsing said seriously. _

_Mortte didn't say anything but if there still was any hope in him Van Helsing was going to do everything not to let it die. _

"How long does it take until we reach Borgos pass?" Van Helsing asked from Anna.

"With this speed I'd say we'll be there during the sunset" Princess Anna, the last of the house of Valerious, said.

_Sunset_, Van Helsing thought, _how convenient_. It was bad enough that they were heading to the unknown destination, to the place where Count Dracula had been hiding and ruling for the past 400 years. Van Helsing could imagine that Dracula's powers were at the highest there. Situation was bad enough without that sun would also set, allowing Dracula to move freely.

Van Helsing looked over to Anna. The woman had certainly earned his respect. Hardly 24 hours ago then she had been kidnapped by two of Dracula's brides, she had been held prisoner and kept weak by loosing blood, and she had fought in a weak state and finally released her own brother from his curse by killing him. And now she had just eaten a little and was resting, gathering her strength.

If later on asked, Van Helsing couldn't tell what exactly it was that made him walk to her.

"Anna?" he asked softly, in case she was already asleep.

"Hmm?" was heard.

"You alright?"

"Considering the circumstances I'm surprisingly well" she said.

Van Helsing felt suddenly very awkward. _Why did I come here in the first place?_ "Do you want to be left alone?" he asked.

For a moment Anna just laid motionlessly in the small bed of the vessel before sighing. "No, I wouldn't mind company" she said.

Van Helsing sat down. "So…how are you truly feeling?" he asked. _I'm not good when it comes to comforting people but she can't have taken this all as well as she looks like._

A deep hollow sigh came out of Anna's mouth. "How am I feeling? I invited them here. Dr. Mortte and Isabella I mean. I invited them both here, thinking I could protect them while Mortte would cure Velkan. I failed. I failed them. Mortte had to stay in bed, worried sick of Isabella. God only knows if Isabella is anymore alive…or worse, human. I was captured by the creatures that house of Valerious has been trying to destroy for centuries. I was weak in front of them. They laughed to me. They laughed while they drank my blood and I was too weak to do anything. And now the nightmare I had feared has come true. I've killed my own brother and Dracula might have won us for good" she said, her voice braking little in the end.

"Dracula hasn't won yet, Anna" Van Helsing said, surprised of what was coming out of his mouth. "And don't call yourself a failure before all has come to an end. We can still save Isabella, even if the chances are minimize. And I am as guilty of failing as you are. I've been hunting creatures of the night for almost 17 years now. I guess I thought too much of myself. I thought I could protect Isabella and look what happened. But we haven't failed yet, Anna. We can't loose our faith now. Otherwise he will certainly win".

The silence fell between them and Van Helsing saw Anna smiling a little, even when her eyes were shinning with moistness.

"Also…" Van Helsing continued, his cheeks reddening, "I want to apologize for all the things I've said and done that have hurt you".

Anna watched Van Helsing for a moment with a curious and amused look. "Why, Mr. Van Helsing, are you blushing?" she finally asked, giving a beautiful smile.

To Van Helsing's eternal surprise he felt himself smiling also. "Yes, ma'am" he laughed.

"Try to rest. We've been having a busy night" Anna said and the muttered "My God, it might truly end tonight".

Van Helsing decided to let her rest. It was then that something seemed to fall in to a right place. Like same great truth had suddenly been revealed to him. _I don't want anything bad to happen to her anymore._

They reached the Borgos pass few hours later. Anna and Van Helsing were looking keenly to the mountains, trying to find the long forbidden place. Huge mountains rose to the skies around them and the last bits of daylight were disappearing behind them.

"Dear Christ and all the angels" Carl suddenly muttered.

Anna and Van Helsing turned to look where he was looking and just before light disappeared completely they saw it. It was hidden in the mountains that you had to come very close to actually see it. Huge stony towers pointed to the sky from the gothic style black building that seemed to come from some diabolical nightmare. Anna looked in wonder of the place her family had tried to find for centuries. The lair of that monster.

Castle Dracula.

**As you can probably guess this story is coming to its end. Probably 3-5 chapters anymore can't say for sure. I hope you're still with me.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hallo there again! Man, can you believe we've made this far. When I started this story I imagined that I'd be writing this still next summer. But we are actually quite near the end. I can't say anything sure yet but after this chapter there will be just 3 to 5 chapters anymore. Well, I hope you will enjoy this till the end. **

**Disclaimer: Still not mine.**

Isabella Mortte stood in front of a huge mirror. The only mirror in Castle Dracula she had been informed. Her dark blue dress had been changed to a white one that had gold in the end of it. She had not been dressed by chamber maids or vampires, for she had arrived to the castle during the daytime. While the pried sailors had carried the boxes in which Dracula and his bride slept to the castle, she had been brought to these rooms.

Unlike rest of the castle, which seemed to be cold and abounded, her rooms had a huge fireplace, a bed made for kings and queens and wardrobes filled with clothes from different eras. She had also been fed, with fish which she had to admit, though she had been scared out of her mind, was delicious and some wine. They had been served in solid gold plates. They also had not been served by vampires or humans.

No, the ones serving her were spirits.

It seemed the castle was filled with spirits, phantoms and demons that Count Dracula had summoned to obey him and guard his castle while he rested. Isabella hadn't actually seen them but they were there, for the she had been helped to dress by gentle invisible hands, that didn't feel like flesh and blood, but more like wind with a will of its own. She felt like a trapped in a story that was unknown to her.

"You are very beautiful" she heard a strong, cold voice saying.

Isabella turned around and saw Count Dracula standing behind her. She turned back to the mirror and her eyes winded when she saw that legends were true: vampires have no reflection. Even the clothes Dracula was wearing, including the black cape, didn't reflect in the surface of the mirror.

"This mirror" Dracula said, taking a step closer, "was a gift from the Tsarina of Russia to my mother. My mother was a weak spirited woman who sat in corner as my father planned the coming wars and while I was trained to become a soldier. She didn't have the spirit to take part in my father's business and the motherhood was something she couldn't bear. She rarely spoke to neither me nor Radu. Radu was my brother, you see. The first of the current House of Valerious. The last thing he saw when he left this world was my red eyes. I watched while the wolves ate him alive".

The way Dracula spoke of the death of his brother was so matter-of-factly that Isabella started to feel nauseous.

"Oh, don't have too much pity for my death brother. He was never a worthy to be alive. He was a leach who sucked the life out of our father, made him do everything he wanted. He arranged the murder of my wife and made it look like a suicide. But when I found out the truth Radu made my father to send my best friend to kill me" Dracula continued his story.

"Your own friend?" Isabella asked weakly.

"Ah, yes. He did pull a sword right through me. But you see, I had already made, shall we say, a backup plan and so I came back and I haven't left for 400 years. You see, my dear, I've been waiting this day all these centuries".

"This day?"

"Come" Dracula said and lead Isabella to the wall in which hand a huge portrait. The portrait showed two persons. One was a man with black hair and steel-blue eyes in a red robes. Other was a woman with long blonde hair and green eyes, dressed in green robes. Isabella's eyes winded. She recognised the man immediately; it was Dracula probably when he had still been human. It took her time to recognise the woman also and she might not have unless she had seen the face of the woman in the mirror.

"That is…me" she said in wonder.

"Her name was Sabrina. She was my wife, the love of my life. For centuries I've tried to find a woman like her with no avail. But now I know that the search is over. You have finally come to me".

Isabella turned to Dracula and their eyes met. "C-Count", she started, "I…I am not this woman. I'm Isabella Mortte…I'm not your wife" she said.

"Yet", Dracula said, "but you soon will be. When the clock strikes midnight we shall have a blood marriage here in the castle. I will make you part of my clan, a powerful _Nosferatu_, and then I will summon Sabrina's spirit to take your immortal body. I shall have her back and you will become the Queen of the Night".

Isabella's whole body was shaking now. Tears formed in to her eyes and she fell to her knees. She catch Dracula's cape to her hands and pleaded.

"Please…please, don't do this. I'm not ready to leave the sun. Please, don't…please…" she sobbed.

Dracula removed his cape from her hands and spoke softly. "Life goes on".

Just then a strange kind of wind blew around the room. It whistled and Dracula seemed to be listening to it. Isabella understood that he was listening to phantoms and spirits of his castle.

"Well, it seems unwanted quests have dropped to our wedding" Dracula said.

_Outside:_

Anna Valerious, Gabriel Van Helsing and Carl, the friar whose family name remained unknown, had slowly climbed up from the river to the front yard of Castle Dracula. The old gate hadn't given them opponent but what they found from the yard was enough to make them consider their approaching.

The yard had been filled with long sharp stakes that had corpses impaled to them. Dracula's very own garden. Some of the bodies were probably centuries old, with only bones left anymore. However, in some of the bodies there was still rotting flesh.

"Has he personally impaled them all?" Carl asked, his voice showing his lack of confidence.

"Wouldn't surprise me if he had" Van Helsing said, slowly walking past the stakes.

Anna walked slowly, seeing familiar family cross around many of the corpses. Many Valerious family members were impaled here.

"We can't turn back now. It must end tonight" Anna whispered, more to herself than to others.

They passed the garden of impaled corpses and saw the wooden front doors of Castle Dracula.

"So, any plans how we should do this. Doesn't need to be any Waterloo but still…" Carl asked.

"We'll go in, kill Dracula and save Isabella" Van Helsing firmly.

"And kill anyone and anything that tries to stop us" Anna continued.

Carl was tempted to turn back and say _tell me how it went then_.

Suddenly the wooden doors opened, showing a dark corridor behind it. Nobody was seen or heard.

"It's a trap. They know we are here" Anna said.

"It seems we don't have any other choices" Van Helsing commented.

The three looked at each others, knowing this could well be the last time they were all standing together alive and then continued to the darkness.

As they entered the dark corridor and Carl was mumbling a prayer in Latin, the wooden doors closed behind them.

**Don't forget those lovely reviews. **


	16. Chapter 16

**This chapter was inspired by the great anime movie _Vampire hunter D: Bloodlust_. **

When the huge doors closed behind them darkness immediately took over. Well, castle wasn't really pitch-black but it took some effort to see properly in there. Princess Anna, last of the noble house of Valerious, was the one who made torches to everyone seemingly out of nowhere.

"We Romanian's have our tricks" she just said to the two bewilder men.

In the dim torch light Anna and her two companions, Gabriel Van Helsing and Carl, continued to the darkness.

"Uhm, does anyone have any clue what we might be against here?" Carl asked.

"Vampires".

"Werewolves".

"Demons".

"Ghosts".

"Zombies".

"Evil spirits".

"Mummies".

"Mummies?"

"Just a suggestion".

"I hate mummies".

Carl shook his head and wondered why he had even asked. "So is there a plaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" Carl's voice suddenly disappeared.

Van Helsing turned around just in time to see both Carl's and Anna's heads before they fell through the trapdoor. "Anna! Carl!" Van Helsing shouted and tried to open the trapdoor but it was already closed. "Hell!"

He turned around, ready to fight against any demon or monster that would try to attack him. To his surprise none appeared.

"DRACULA!" Van Helsing yelled. "Cut fucking around and come on! I know you're the one doing this!"

A sound came from the dark. As the sound came closer Van Helsing pulled his sword ready to strike. The sound was definitely near him now.

Suddenly there was a shocking white light coming from front. For a moment Van Helsing had to cover his eyes before he could look again. When he did look he saw Dracula with a cruel smile on his face.

"Once again, Gabriel, you are too late" Dracula said and opened his huge black cape. To his horror, Van Helsing saw Isabella Mortte tightly embracing Dracula. When she turned Van Helsing saw she had red eyes and blood on her lips. She smiled wickedly to Van Helsing and then asked from Dracula in a childlike manner "Can I have a bite?"

_This…this can not be! I can not have lost her too!!!_

Suddenly Van Helsing felt an evil presence behind him. He turned just in time to see a huge sword flying through the air to his direction. He managed to dodge it just in time. Van Helsing pulled himself up as fast as he could only to see that light was gone and so were Dracula and Isabella. The realization kicked him hard.

_That's why I didn't feel their presence. Just illusions!_

Van Helsing sensed he was not alone. The demons and monsters of this castle were around him, wanting his flesh. Van Helsing looked at the nightmarish creatures with fangs and claws. He held his sword.

"Heh, come and get some".

_**Elsewhere:**_

Carl couldn't understand what had happened. For a moment he had been wandering in the darkness of Castle Dracula with Van Helsing and Princess Anna. Now he was outside in the snowy cemetery alone.

_And why the hell – sorry Lord – am I here? I don't remember seeing cemeteries near Castle. _

Carl suddenly heard a sound. It was like a child's crying. He moved towards it and saw a young blonde haired boy on his kneel in front of a grave, crying.

"Uh…I'm sorry to disturb you but could you tell me where I am?" Carl asked softly.

The boy turned his head towards the young friar and Carl felt his job dropping to ground. _That boy…he is me when I was a child!_

"Go away!" the boy shouted. "I don't want anyone near me!"

Carl took a step back trying to understand the situation. He looked around him to the cemetery and saw no-one else. _If I am a child here and I'm crying in front of a grave, then it must mean…_ His eyes suddenly winded. _Oh God…no, not here! Please, anywhere but here!_

He looked over the boy's shoulder to read the text in tombstone. Carl now felt tears in his own eyes as well.

_My sister's grave. God, I had almost forgotten. My little sister, who was all I had left when our parents died. We tried to take care of each others, didn't we? But she got sick, and I tried to save her…I really tried but she just got weaker…I tried…_

Carl approached again his childself and bent down to his knees behind the boy. He took hold of the boy's shoulders and spoke softly. "It's okay, really it is. I know how you feel. You think it was your fault she died. But you couldn't do anything. Believe me, I know what it feels like. But the pain will ease…"

Suddenly Carl felt his youngerself's hands on his chest. They pushed him away with such a strength Carl had never felt before. He looked up to see his childself crying blood tears. "Your fault! It's all your fault!" the child Carl shouted and ran closer.

Carl took hold of the only thing he found from his robes: a crucifix. He held it in front of the child and saw how the crucifix was surrounded by a bluish light. The light spread ahead and Carl found himself again in the cold, dark corridors of Castle Dracula. No sign of cemetery or his childself.

_An illusion? Demons used my own memories against me? _

"No, I didn't mean to!" Carl suddenly heard someone shout. He looked ahead and saw Princess Anna talking to an empty corridor.

"I'm sorry, father! I'm sorry, Velkan! I won't fail you, I swear! I will end this!" she said.

_She is having an illusion about her family, eh? _Carl wondered.

Suddenly Carl saw a huge axe in the air, ready to strike Anna Valerious. Acting purely by instinct Carl launched himself forward and held his crucifix in front of him. The blue light appeared again it literally shattered the axe. It also seemed to weak up Anna.

"Princess! Are you alright?" Carl asked, running to her side.

Anna seemed to clear her thoughts. "Eh, yes, I'm alright. It was an illusion after all" she mumbled to herself. It was then she noticed the fading blue light in Carl's crucifix. "Carl! Is that…is that a holy light?" she asked.

Carl looked at his crucifix and then just smiled. "Well, in a place like this it's good at least one of us is in God's favour".

**Yeah, not much but it took me almost two days to do this. My schedule is really full so few reviews could ease my mind. **


	17. Chapter 17

**Well, the story is coming nicely towards the end. Thanks for all the reviewers!**

**Disclaimer: Yes, I am Stephen Sommer and I have Bram Stoker's spirit living inside of me. All is mine. **

It wasn't that Gabriel Van Helsing hadn't faced army of demons before. Especially this kind of lower class demons. Ones that are usually summon by higher class demon/sorcerer/vampire to guard his lair or carry out some smaller tasks. Van Helsing had no idea how many he had already beheaded and mutilated with his sword but the floor was already filled with demon corpses and still they launched against him. Also, their numbers didn't seem to be ending. Van Helsing on the other hand was starting to be tired. Van Helsing had a feeling in his limps that should he live to see tomorrow his body would be doomed to suffer a thousand pains.

The demons seemed to have taken a pause. They were circling him in the shadows. They were playing with him like spider plays with flies in his its web.

_That's what I am: a fly in a web. And these little spiders are determined not to let me close enough to their master. _

"Screw this!" Van Helsing yelled and pulled out few little glass bottled from his jacket. He threw them towards the demons and as the glass broke the holy water was released. He could see movement in shadows, hear demons screaming in pain and smell the burning of their flesh. Soon they would launch against him in their full force.

_I'm not going to survive, _he thought.

But just as something seemed to happen, as the demons were attacking, the dark hall was suddenly filled with blue light. Van Helsing had to squeeze his eyes to be able to see two forms appearing behind the light. Two forms those were strangely familiar.

_Carl? Anna?_

The demons were running away from the light. Those who came too close seemed to be burned to ashes by the light. Demons screamed as Carl came closer, holding in his hand a crucifix which seemed to be the source of light. Anna was close behind, holding her sword should some of the demons be able to come through the light.

But none came. The light drove them away and very soon Carl, Anna and Van Helsing were left alone in the dark hall.

"Are you alright, Gabriel?" Anna said and rushed to his side, looking for any signs of serious injuries.

_She called me Gabriel, _Van Helsing wondered. _Sounds rather nice coming from her_.

"Yeah, I'm fine. None of them gave me even a flesh wound, they were all lower class demons" Van Helsing explained.

"Good", Anna sighed, "then pull yourself together and look like a man and not something that might fall apart any minute now" she added with harsher tone.

_That didn't sound nice at all. _

"Any idea where Dracula is?" Carl asked.

"I'd say our only way is to go there. I at least see no other way" Van Helsing said, pointing to the way the hall continued.

"Let's move on then" Anna said, voice full of authority.

_In the Great Hall of Castle Dracula:_

Usually in this time of night the Great Hall of Castle Dracula would be in darkness, with only the moonlight shinning in from the windows. However, this night the Great Hall was filled with candles that gave strange, reddish light to the hall. In the middle of the floor a huge pentagram was drawn with different diabolical symbols. In the middle of pentagram was an altar and right next to it a huge old coffin, which looked like it was made for a royal.

Igor stood respectably near the great doors, lighting the last of candles, when Count Dracula entered, holding Isabella Mortte from the hand. Isabella's dreamlike wedding dress seemed to float around her as she, head down, walked along with Dracula. They headed to the altar. Isabella looked around her from the corners of her eyes. She tried to find some last escape, some little glimmer of hope, but she saw nothing. When they finally reached the altar Isabella was able to see to the open coffin. She nearly screamed when she saw the mummified corpse of a woman long since dead.

Her scream died to her lips when her head was suddenly turned to look at Dracula. She looked deep in to his red eyes and felt no more fear but was totally mesmerised. Suddenly all surrounding her disappeared and, whatever was happening, she didn't want it to end. She felt herself to be raised to Dracula's arms and being lowered to the altar. Dracula's face was only inches away from hers and she suddenly noticed how handsome he actually was.

"Do not be afraid", he said with a voice that couldn't be from this world, "death is only the beginning of a new life".

With that he closed the distance between them and kissed her gently to the lips. Isabella Mortte had never had any boy kiss her, least then a man. But there was something that made this new experience quite a pleasant one and the voice in her head that warned her about what would happen had grown quieter. When the Count's tongue entered her mouth the voice shut upped completely.

After exploring her mouth, Dracula trailed his kisses from her chin to her throat. For a moment he just kissed the point the made her moan and then revealed his fangs and bit her. And finally he tasted her blood, relishing the taste, making sure that his supernatural touch made this pleasurable also to Isabella. Then he trailed his kisses back to her lips and Isabella was startled to taste her own blood.

"Become my queen. Drink from me and become the eternal ruler of the night by my side" she distantly heard his voice say.

Dracula stood straight and opened his shirt, revealing his chest. With a long nail he cut his skin and Isabella watched as thick, red blood slide down his pale skinned chest.

"Come, come" Dracula said.

Isabella rose up, even when her mind had not told her body to do so, and touched his wound with her lips. The blood she drank was the sweetest thing she had ever had and she no longer cared if she had become one with the devils.

After she had drank, for how long she didn't know, Dracula took hold of her shoulders and gently pushed her down back to altar. He then moved between the altar and coffin. He looked the centuries old corpse.

"Now, my most beloved one, let your spirit take place in this immortal body I offer you" he said and then raised his hand, making his cape look like huge wings of a bat. He started to speak words Isabella was unable to understand.

As Dracula continued his satanic prayer, the pentagram drawn to the floor suddenly started to glove. Isabella started to feel dizzy and didn't know what was happening. Didn't know that her body was about to be given to a soul summoned from the other side.

A sudden yell turned Dracula's attention away. He saw Van Helsing, Anna and Carl standing over Igor's unconscious body. Carl stepped forward and held a crucifix from which a bluish light was radiating.

"A heavenly light?" asked surprised Dracula. He moved from altar towards the intruders. He suddenly jumped closer and the crucifix melted in Carl's hands. "You can not exorcise me. Me who commanded armies hundreds of years before you were born, friar" the vampire lord said.

Anna attacked towards Dracula, but the Count moved aside from her fatal blow of sword and threw her across the hall.

"ANNA!" Van Helsing yelled and moved forward.

"Stop!"

Both Van Helsing and Dracula turned their heads to the altar. Pentagram was still glowing and Isabella was now sitting in the altar. Her hair and dress floated eerily in the air. And the voice that she had spoken had not been Isabella's voice. It had not even been from this world.

"Sabrina" Dracula whispered.

**Only two more chapters to go anymore!!! If you want them you'd better post reviews. **

**This chapter had couple references to Bram Stoker's classic. Did you notice which ones?**


	18. Chapter 18

**Oh my God, we're actually here! The second final chapter! Funny how one moment I thought this fic would just go on and on, and then suddenly we're here. Have you enjoyed yourself? I have. **

**Disclaimer: Need I say?**

The silence in the Great Hall of Castle Dracula lasted only a couple of seconds but it seemed to drag to eternity. Currently there were six persons in the Great Hall. Princess Anna, the last of the noble house of Valerious, was trying to get herself up from the filthy floor, which wasn't easy due to dizziness she was suffering and the fact she lost heel from her other boot. There was other person on the floor also, the hunchback Igor, who still lay unconscious. Carl, the young friar, had taken a few steps back after loosing his holy light. Both Gabriel Van Helsing, the hunter send by the Knights of the Holy Order, and Count Dracula, the vampire overlord of Transylvania, were both watching a young woman who sat on an altar. Just few moments ago then this woman still was Isabella Mortte, but now there was other speaking through her mouth. A spirit of Sabrina.

Dracula was the first one to break the silence. "Sabrina" he breathed as he started to approach the altar. "I've waited this night for 400 years. I finally have you back, Sabrina".

As Dracula approached the altar, the girl sitting there looked at him with a sad, lonely loo. "Oh, Vlad. What have you done?" she sighed.

Dracula stopped. "What?" he asked with disbelief in his voice.

"Why did it come to this? Where did it all go so terribly wrong?" she asked.

Van Helsing looked the two figures from his death past with wide eyes. The two lovers, who in formers life were both very dear to him, are reunited._ But Isabella…no, it is Sabrina now, doesn't look happy. What is going on, _he thought.

"What are they talking about?" Carl asked, taking a hesitant step forward.

"Don't you have ears in your head, Carl?" Van Helsing asked and then stopped. He suddenly realised the two were talking Romania, to be more precisely, Romania that was talked 400 years ago then. And he understood it perfectly!

"What do you mean why has it come to this? Sabrina, you're not making sense. I brought you back, to a suitable body for you, a body that now has my blood and will live forever. We will never be apart again! I've missed you so, during my lonely centuries" Dracula said, becoming very close to altar now.

Sabrina only shook her (Isabella's?) head miserably. "You've never been alone, Vlad. All these centuries I've been with you. I've watched you and shared your loneliness and suffering. But I have also seen how, with each year passing, you change more and more. Indeed, it is very difficult to me see the young man I love in you anymore" she spoke.

Dracula looked like nothing made sense to him anymore. "It's still me, Sabrina. You could learn to live with the changes. You have eternity the time to learn" he spoke tenderly, but there was a slight edge of panic in his voice.

Sabrina turned to look the coffin next to altar. She looked at the mummified skeleton there. "This is what I am, Vlad", she said, pointing the corpse, "this is what I should be. The time we had, the time we lived is long since gone. We do not belong to this time. What does immortality bring us? I could live, yes, but I should sacrifice the life of this young woman who hasn't properly lived yet. And you? What have you become, Vlad? What use has it being for us to be apart all these centuries if you let yourself become this thing?"

Dracula seemed to be shaken by this. He summoned all his authority to him. "Sabrina…" he started but for the first time in four centuries someone dared to interrupt him.

"Look at yourself, Vlad. Are you really the passionate young man I fell in love? I remember a young man who used to chase me in gardens, not sleep in coffins. I remember a young man who defended his country passionately, not hunt innocents people to his food. I've watched how little by little Vlad Valerious has died inside you, Count" she spoke quietly.

"Do not speak of me as Valerious! I haven't been one since Radu-"

"Your brother is long since dead, Vlad. You can't bear hate for the entire line. See that woman there?" Sabrina pointed Princess Anna. "You've taken her father and brother already. Why does she need to loose her life as well? And Gabriel, my poor brother, who has lost nearly all of his memories. What good has all this done for us, Vlad?"

The silence that followed was so thick Van Helsing was sure he could slice it with his sword.

"Then…what else can I do?" Dracula finally asked.

Sabrina smiled tenderly. "It is time to come home" she said.

And with that a sudden light once again appeared around the pentagram and the young woman collapsed to the altar. Faster than any human eye could see Dracula had moved by her side. As the light dimmed Dracula moved his gaze from the young woman to the body in the coffin.

"She is gone" he finally said. "Sabrina set herself free from Isabella's body".

Van Helsing let out a sigh. "Maybe that is for better".

Dracula didn't answer. He silently watched the mummified corpse in the coffin. He paid no attention to the girl on the altar anymore. Van Helsing took few steps towards the dark figure. Anna, who could somewhat stand straight now was being helped by Carl. No one noticed the sudden absence of Igor.

"Vlad", Van Helsing said carefully, "let me take Isabella back to her father. I think we've all had enough".

Dracula had a small smile on his lips. "You're right, Gabriel. Enough is enough. However, I doubt Mortte would appreciate seeing her daughter as one my brides now" he said.

Van Helsing felt that cold feeling again. Something wasn't right. "But you said Sabrina left".

Dracula's smile turned to a diabolical grin. "Sabrina left, yes. But Isabella Mortte still carries my mark and has my blood. She is already changing to a powerful vampire".

"You monster!" Van Helsing yelled, unable to hold his rage.

"I get that a lot" Dracula sneered. "But, there is a way for you to save her, isn't there, Gabriel".

Van Helsing remembered one of the rules of the vampires. _A victim can be saved from turning to a Nosferatu is the vampire that marked him or her is being killed before transformation is finished._

However, Van Helsing barely had time to react when Dracula launched himself to an attack. Van Helsing's instinct took control and he waved his sword, cutting Count's arm. Count flew past him to the other wall. Van Helsing turned around to see Dracula's arm regenerate back.

"So, let us do this by the old school way, Gabriel" Dracula said and pulled his sword from under his huge black cape. He launched himself again to Van Helsing and soon the Great Hall was filled with sound of two swords hitting each others. From the side Anna and Carl looked situation helplessly, not knowing would interrupting be best approach. While Van Helsing definitely had more experience in using sword, Dracula was much faster and stronger. Actually, it seemed as if he was holding back.

Suddenly Dracula managed to move Van Helsing's sword away and grabbed him by the collar. "Enough of waxing nostalgic, Gabriel, but do pay a visit again when you next time reborn" vampire said and threw Van Helsing across the Great Hall. The moment he landed the filthy floor he heard a sound, that couldn't mean anything good, and a moment later a pain shot through him light lightening. Van Helsing tried to stand up but only fell again gritting his teeth. His leg was broken.

"GABRIELLE!"

Anna's voice made him turn around and Van Helsing saw Dracula flying towards him, his black cape looking like huge wings of a bad, and his sword ready to strike. Impulse took over and Van Helsing reached his silver blade with his free hand. Just as Dracula appeared over him Van Helsing used the blade to push vampire's sword aside and pushed his sword in to Dracula's chest.

For a moment everything seemed to still. Then Dracula spoke. "Déjà vu" he said.

Van Helsing looked at the Count. If he had hit his sword an inch closer to his heart then Dracula would be dead now. Dracula was still standing and breathing, but dying. The sword had hit close enough. The more blood pooled from his chest the paler skin turned.

"You…were always…the better fighter…show-off" vampire coughed and dropped to his knees.

Instead of victorious, Van Helsing felt melancholy. "I'm sorry it came to this" he said.

"No matter…" Dracula said. "I'm going home, Gabriel".

And then, in front of Van Helsing, Count Dracula collapsed to the floor and his entire body grumbled to ashes. Van Helsing closed his eyes and prayed that Vladislaus Valerious was in peace now.

**One to go still!!! Please, remember to review. **


	19. Chapter 19

**Well, here it is: the last chapter. I realised too late that the last chapter actually had even more mistakes in grammar than usually. Sorry about those, I was bit tired when I made it. **

**Disclaimer: Not mine ******

"Master is gone".

The words echoed in the empty Great Hall of Castle Dracula. Aleera, the last living Bride of Count Dracula, stood there. She looked around herself in the large empty hall. The pentagram had been washed away. The remains of the Master and his late wife had been moved to the crypt, side by side. Hunter, Valerious woman and others had left. She was only one there anymore.

She would have wanted to be there. She would have wanted to fight along side with her Master. Even when she didn't approve Master's choice of killing Verona, she still loved and worshipped him. And now he was gone. And she hadn't been there to defend him.

Suddenly Aleera realised that she was completely alone. She felt more alone than she had that night centuries ago, when she had gotten lost from her group and in darkness trespassed the Count's lands. He could have let her be eaten by werewolves, but he had taken her under his wings.

_Master, what am I suppose to do now?_

She suddenly sensed a presence in the room and not just any presence, she knew this one well. With a movement too fast for any human to see she launched herself towards the intruder. She captured him by his collar and pushed him very hard against the wall.

"You!" she hissed through her teeth.

"Me", Igor said simply, "your humble servant".

"You should have left when you had a chance, Igor. Now I am going to do what I've wanted to do for years now" Aleera said, her eyes having once again that crimson colour.

"Where would I have gone? There is a reward of my head in nearly every country in the Europe. And believe it or not, it is much easier to come along with vampires than with Asians" Igor told. "Beside, I had to obey Master's will".

Aleera's eyes winded. "What do you mean? Speak, before I'll break your neck!" she demanded. Igor reached for his pocket and pulled out an envelope. "When I regained my consciousness I hear Master's voice in my head, telling me to fetch this from his library".

Aleera snatched the envelope and let go of Igor, making him fall to the floor. She opened it and pulled out a fine piece of paper, exactly what Master used. She recognised the handwriting.

_Igor,_

_Should you read this letter then it means that something has gone wrong and my travel on this Earth has come to an end. I do not wish to continue this life without my Sabrina, so by my own will or by the hands of Gabriel, who I am sure is destined to crash my party, I will no longer be. However, I have not been the Vampire Lord of Transylvania for the past four centuries only to let the throne empty. Aleera, my last bride, shall continue on my place. My lands, my castle and the secrets of the black arts from my library are hers to use. I have every confident in her and I am sure she will make a powerful obstacle for that ridiculous Holy Order of the Vatican. You will, of course, stay to serve and obey her. _

_Your Master,_

_Count Vladislaus Dracula_

Aleera looked at the letter in shock and re-read couple of times. She looked around the Castle Dracula, her inheritance. "He sure left me with big boots to fill" she said quietly.

"Indeed", Igor said and rose up. "Shall I call my Mistress or my Master?"

Aleera turned to look at him, surprised by the question and the fact she no longer had desire to kill him. A slow smile made its way for her lips. "Master sounds good".

_A day after in Varna:_

The magnificent Russian vessel was harboured near the docks of Varna. The sailors were setting up the sails and the workers were carrying the belongings of Heinrich Mortte and his daughter Isabella. Mortte seemed to have aged considerably during his stay in Transylvania and Isabella many times, subconsciously though, touched the part of her neck where Count had left his mark. Though there were no marks anymore, they had vanished the moment of Count's second death and Isabella's awakening from the spell.

"Dr. Mortte, Isabella, I am truly sorry for the way your trip ended up being" Anna Valerious said for about billionth time.

"Princess, the trip was not a disappointment only for us but also for you. I wasn't able to help your brother after all", Dr. Mortte said. "But at least Count is dead and Isabella is safe" he added.

"Goodbye, Princess Anna", Isabella said and hugged the Valerious woman, "goodbye, Carl" she continued and kissed the young friar, making him chance his skin colour to scarlet.

"And goodbye, Mr. Van Helsing, and thank you for everything" Isabella said and gave a quick hug to Gabriel Van Helsing, who was leaning against a walking stick since his leg really wasn't any better. How he had managed to get back from Castle Dracula that night was still a mystery for him.

"Goodbye, Isabella Mortte, take good care of yourself" Van Helsing said and smiled.

The three watched as Isabella and her father prepared to board the ship.

"Well…I guess we'll be seeing each others back in the Vatican" Carl said and threw his bag over his shoulder.

"You sure you don't want to stay and wait for Van Helsing to heel?" Anna asked.

"Yeah, from what we've seen, the Big Guy up there looks after you" Van Helsing smiled.

"No, thank you. Enough monster hunting for one season" Carl said. "Van Helsing, you do know that after I have told the news to Cardinal Jinette he will immediately order you to return, no matter what your situation is?" Carl asked.

"Oh, I don't know, Carl. Jinette kind of understands me. You can ask him to give me little time off for healing my leg and rest. This has been rather hard" Van Helsing said, not caring to explain how this was the first time his emotions had been challenged also.

"Sure, taking easy in Transylvania. Are you telling me the truth that rest is all you do?" Carl asked sceptically.

Van Helsing suddenly seem to have problems staying up with his stick. "Yes…of course…what on Earth would you mean…don't understand you…" he babbled.

Carl turned his head to Anna Valerious, who was looking Van Helsing with partly amused and partly mischievous smile on her face. Carl noticed how Dracula's death had affected her, she seemed more carefree now, as if huge burden had been taken from her shoulders.

Carl shook his head. "Well, I'll see you then. Princess, it has been a pleasure".

"Don't you dare to cross Romania without paying me a visit" Anna said.

20 minutes later, as the vessel was setting its sails to the sea, Carl watched as the figures of Anna Valerious and Gabriel Van Helsing disappeared inside a carriage. He could have sworn that Anna had done something quite inappropriate for Van Helsing before they disappeared.

Suddenly Carl smacked his forehead.

_Damnation! I forgot to mention the news from Vatican! Oh well, he deserves to rest for a while now. I'm sure he'll be hearing of Mr. Hyde's recent escape soon enough. _

**END**

**AN: There it is: The Dearest Fiend. In case the title puzzled someone it was meant to describe the friend/enemy relationship between Van Helsing and Dracula. When I heard about Van Helsing movie I was really excited but very soon disappointed. This is really the version of the movie I would have wanted to see in the theatre. Both Coppola's **_**Dracula **_**and beautiful anime movie **_**Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust**_** have been a great influence for me. **

**Thanks to all my readers who kept me going: Ron's Sexy Girl 750, HughJackmanFan, Irena, Michelle and everyone who ever reviewed me! Thank you!**


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